2017 -- S 0639

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- INSURANCE BENEFITS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Raptakis, Lombardi, Doyle, and McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: March 29, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 36-12-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-12 entitled "Insurance

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Benefits" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     36-12-4. Coverage of Non-Medicare-eligible retired employees.

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     (a) Non-Medicare-eligible retired employees who retired on or before September 30,

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2008. Any retired employee who retired on or before September 30, 2008 shall be entitled, until

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attaining Medicare eligibility, to be covered under §§ 36-12-1 -- 36-12-5 for himself and herself

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and, if he or she so desires, his or her non-Medicare-eligible dependents, upon agreeing to pay the

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total cost of his or her contract at the group rate for active state employees. Payments of any non-

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Medicare-eligible retired employee for coverage shall be deducted from his or her retirement

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allowance and remitted from time to time in payment for such contract. In addition, any retired

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employee who retired on or before September 30, 2008 shall be permitted to purchase coverage

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for his or her non-Medicare-eligible dependents upon agreeing to pay the additional cost of the

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contract at the group rate for active state employees. Payment for coverage for these dependents

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shall be deducted from his or her retirement allowances and remitted as required in payment for

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the contract.

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     (b) Non-Medicare-eligible state retirees who retired subsequent to July 1, 1989, and on or

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before September 30, 2008. Non-Medicare-eligible state retirees who retired subsequent to July 1,

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1989, and on or before September 30, 2008, from active service of the state, and who were

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employees of the state as determined by the retirement board under section 36-8-1, shall be

 

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entitled to receive for himself or herself non-Medicare-eligible a retiree health care insurance

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benefit as described in section 36-12-1 in accordance with the following formula:

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     Years of Age Employee's

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Service at Retirement State's Share Share

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10-15 60 50% 50%

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16-22 60 70% 30%

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23-27 60 80% 20%

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28+ -- 90% 10%

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28+ 60 100% 0%

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35+ any 100% 0%

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     If the retired employee is receiving a subsidy on September 30, 2008, the state will

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continue to pay the same subsidy share until the retiree attains age sixty-five (65). Until

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December 31, 2013, when the state retiree reaches that age which will qualify him or her for

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Medicare supplement, the formula shall be:

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     Years of Service State's Share Employee's Share

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10 - 15 50% 50%

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16 - 19 70% 30%

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20 - 27 90% 0%

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      28+ 100% 0%

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     (c) Non-Medicare-eligible retired employees who retire on or after October 1, 2008. Any

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retired employee who retires on or after October 1, 2008 shall be entitled, until attaining

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Medicare eligibility, to be covered under §§ 36-12-1 -- 36-12-5 for himself and herself and, if he

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or she so desires, his or her non-Medicare-eligible dependents, upon agreeing to pay the total cost

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of the contract in the plan in which he or she enrolls. Payments of any non-Medicare-eligible

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retired employee for coverage shall be deducted from his or her retirement allowance and

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remitted from time to time in payment for such contract. Any retired employee who retires on or

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after October 1, 2008, shall be permitted to purchase coverage for his or her non-Medicare-

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eligible dependents upon agreeing to pay the additional cost of the contract at the group rate for

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the plan in which the dependent is enrolled. Payment for coverage for dependents shall be

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deducted from the retired employee's retirement allowances and remitted as required in payment

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for the contract. The Director of Administration shall develop and present to the chairpersons of

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the House Finance Committee and the Senate Finance Committee by May 23, 2008 a retiree

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health plan option or options to be offered to retirees eligible for state-sponsored medical

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coverage who are under age sixty-five (65) or are not eligible for Medicare. This plan will have a

 

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reduced benefit level and will have an actuarially based premium cost not greater than the

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premium cost of the plan offered to the active state employee population. This new plan option

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will be available to employees retiring after September 30, 2008, and their dependents.

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     (d) Non-Medicare-eligible state retirees who retire on or after October 1, 2008. Non-

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Medicare-eligible state retirees who retire on or after October 1, 2008 from active service of the

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state, and who were employees of the state as determined by the retirement board under § 36-8-1,

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and who have a minimum of twenty (20) years of service, and who are a minimum of fifty-nine

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(59) years of age, shall be entitled to receive for himself or herself a non-Medicare-eligible retiree

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health care insurance benefit as described in § 36-12-1. The state will subsidize 80% of the cost

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of the health insurance plan for individual coverage in which the state retiree is enrolled in.

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Payments for coverage shall be deducted from his or her retirement allowance and remitted from

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time to time in payment for such contract. Correctional officers as defined in §36-10-9.2 who

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have a minimum of twenty-five (25) years of service, and who are a minimum of fifty-five (55)

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years of age, shall be entitled to receive for themselves a non-Medicare-eligible retiree health care

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insurance benefit as described in §36-12-1.

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     (e) Medicare-eligible state retirees who retire on or after October 1, 2008. Until

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December 31, 2013, the state shall subsidize eighty percent (80%) of the cost of the Medicare-

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eligible health insurance plan for individual coverage in which the state retiree is enrolled,

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provided the employee retired on or after October 1, 2008; has a minimum of twenty (20) years of

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service; and is a minimum of fifty-nine (59) years of age. Payments for coverage shall be

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deducted from his or her retirement allowance and remitted from time to time in payment for such

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health insurance plan.

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     (f) Retired employees, including retired teachers, who are non-Medicare-eligible and who

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reach the age of sixty-five (65) shall be allowed to continue to purchase group health care

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insurance benefits in the same manner as those provided to retired employees who have not

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reached the age of sixty-five (65).

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- INSURANCE BENEFITS

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     This act would entitle correctional officers with twenty-five (25) years of service and

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who are at least fifty-five (55) years of age to a non-Medicare-eligible retiree health care

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insurance benefit.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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