SB2344

Report Title:

Public Employees; Reciprocal Beneficiary Health Benefits

 

Description:

Enables a reciprocal beneficiary of a public employee to receive health benefits from the Public Employees Health Fund or its successor entity.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2344
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to health benefits.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 87, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§87-   Reciprocal beneficiary family coverage defined; reciprocal beneficiary employees, state and counties, and fund responsibility costs. (a) The board of trustees shall establish a reciprocal beneficiary family coverage health benefits plan for an employee who is a reciprocal beneficiary under chapter 572C and elects to enroll in reciprocal beneficiary family coverage.

(b) As used in this section, reciprocal beneficiary family coverage means coverage under a health benefits plan that insures, originally or upon subsequent amendment, an employee who is a reciprocal beneficiary, the other party to the employee's reciprocal beneficiary relationship, and any dependent-beneficiary of the employee, any unmarried child of the non-employee reciprocal beneficiary under age nineteen, or a surviving beneficiary of the employee."

SECTION 2. Chapter 87A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§87A-   Reciprocal beneficiary family coverage defined; reciprocal beneficiary employees, state and counties, and trust fund responsibility costs. (a) The board of trustees shall provide a reciprocal beneficiary of an active or retired public employee with the same health benefits plan enrollment options available to a spouse of an employee-beneficiary or a dependent-beneficiary under this chapter.

(b) As used in this section, "reciprocal beneficiary" means a public employee who is a reciprocal beneficiary who is in a relationship subject to chapter 572C, the other party to the employee's reciprocal beneficiary relationship subject to chapter 572C, and any dependent-beneficiary of the employee, any unmarried child of the non-employee reciprocal beneficiary under age nineteen, or a surviving beneficiary of the employee."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________