State Employees Group Benefits Act Modifications

State employees group benefits - contracts with carriers to provide benefits - compliance with state and federal law. Several provisions of the "State Employees Group Benefits Act" are modified as follows:

• To bring the "State Employees Group Benefits Act" into compliance with federal law, the definition of "dependent" is changed to include a child through the end of the month in which the child turns 26, the requirement that a child be a full-time student to be a dependent past the age of 19 is eliminated, the requirement that a child be unmarried to be a dependent is eliminated, and the requirement that the employee be the major source of financial support or directed by a court to provide coverage for a child to be a dependent is eliminated;
• An employee's domestic partner is removed from the definition of "dependent" as the director has repealed rules allowing a person to submit documentation demonstrating a domestic partnership with an employee;
• A reference to lifetime maximum benefit per employee or employee's covered dependents is removed to bring the "State Employees Group Benefits Act" into compliance with federal law;
• A provision requiring the director to give written notice of intent to seek a contract with insurance carriers is eliminated and the director is authorized to make such announcement in a manner that he or she determines;
• An obsolete provision that required the director to evaluate the feasibility of offering a high deductible health plan and to forward the findings of the evaluation to the general assembly by October 1, 2004, is eliminated;
• An obsolete provision that specified the amount of the state's contribution for each employee enrolled in group benefit plans for the 2003 calendar year is eliminated; and
• A requirement that the director hold a public hearing prior to the acceptance of any proposal for a group benefit plan is eliminated, as this requirement is not in compliance with the "Procurement Code".
  (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)