H. B. 4299
(By Delegates H. White, Campbell, Michael and Ross)
[By request of the Public Employees
Insurance Agency]
[Introduced February 2, 2010; referred to the
Committee on Banking and Insurance then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §5-16-22 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to the West Virginia Public
Employees Insurance Agency; and providing that nonstate
retired employees who have worked for their last nonstate
employer for less than five years are responsible for their
entire premium cost for coverage.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §5-16-22 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
§5-16-22. Permissive participation; exemptions.
The provisions of this article are not mandatory upon any
employee or employer who is not an employee of or is not the State
of West Virginia, its boards, agencies, commissions, departments,
institutions or spending units or a county board of education, and nothing contained in this article shall may be construed so as to
compel any employee or employer to enroll in or subscribe to any
insurance plan authorized by the provisions of this article.
Those employees enrolled in the insurance program authorized
under the provisions of article two-b, chapter twenty-one-a of this
code shall may not be required to enroll in or subscribe to an
insurance plan or plans authorized by the provisions of this
article, and the employees of any department which has an existing
insurance program for its employees to which the government of the
United States contributes any part or all of the premium or cost of
the premium may be exempted from the provisions of this article.
Any employee or employer exempted under the provisions of this
paragraph may enroll in any insurance program authorized by the
provisions of this article at any time, to the same extent as any
other qualified employee or employer, but employee or employer
shall may not remain enrolled in both programs. The provisions of
articles fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, chapter thirty-three of
this code, relating to group life insurance, accident and sickness
insurance, and group accident and sickness insurance, are not
applicable to the provisions of this article whenever the
provisions of articles fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, chapter
thirty-three of this code are in conflict with or contrary to any
provision set forth in this article or to any plan or plans
established by the Public Employees Insurance Agency.
Employers, other than the State of West Virginia, its boards,
agencies, commissions, departments, institutions, spending units or
a county board of education are exempt from participating in the
insurance program provided for by the provisions of this article
unless participation by the employer has been approved by a
majority vote of the employer's governing body. It is the duty of
the clerk or secretary of the governing body of an employer who by
majority vote becomes a participant in the insurance program to
notify the director not later than ten days after the vote.
Any employer, whether the employer participates in the Public
Employees Insurance Agency insurance program as a group or not,
which has retired employees, their dependents or surviving
dependents of deceased retired employees who participate in the
Public Employees Insurance Agency insurance program as authorized
by this article, shall pay to the agency the same contribution
toward the cost of coverage for its retired employees, their
dependents or surviving dependents of deceased retired employees as
the State of West Virginia, its boards, agencies, commissions,
departments, institutions, spending units or a county board of
education pay for their retired employees, their dependents and
surviving dependents of deceased retired employees, as determined
by the finance board: Provided, That after June 30, 1996, an
employer is only required to pay a contribution toward the cost of
coverage for its retired employees, their dependents or the surviving dependents of deceased retired employees who elect
coverage when the retired employee participated in the plan as an
active employee of the employer for at least five years: Provided,
however, That those retired employees who have participated in the
plan as active employees of the employer for less than five years
are responsible for the entire premium cost for coverage and the
Public Employees Insurance Agency shall bill for and collect the
premium from the retired employees. Each employer is hereby
authorized and required to budget for and make such payments as are
required by this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that nonstate
retired employees who have worked for their last nonstate employer
for less than five years are responsible for their entire premium
cost for coverage.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.