[§87-23.7] Health benefits for part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees; provision of.
(a) After July 1, 2000, the board of trustees shall offer medical, hospital, and surgical benefits plans to part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees at no cost to the employers. A part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee means a person employed for less than three months or whose employment is less than one-half of a full-time equivalent position. The board of trustees may determine eligibility for part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91.(b) The board of trustees shall determine the medical, hospital, and surgical benefits plan, which shall be excepted from the minimum group requirements of article 10A of chapter 431. The medical, hospital, and surgical benefits plan shall provide, pay for, arrange for, or reimburse the cost of hospitalization, surgery, medical, and may include prescribed hospital in-patient and out-patient service and medical benefits.
(c) The board may contract for the following health benefit plans; provided that benefits provided under any respective plan shall be equally available to all part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees regardless of age, as provided for below:
(1) An indemnity benefit plan or plans under which a carrier agrees to pay certain sums of money not in excess of the actual expenses incurred for health services;
(2) A service benefit plan or plans under which payment is made by a carrier under contracts with physicians, hospitals, or other providers of health services, or, under certain conditions, payment is made by a carrier to a part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee;
(3) Health maintenance organization plans, which provide or arrange health services for members on a prepaid basis, with professional services provided by physicians practicing individually or as a group in a common center or centers; and
(4) A noninsured schedule of benefits similar to any of the schedule of benefits set forth in the health benefits plans authorized in paragraphs (1) to (3).
(d) Each part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee enrolled for health benefits shall pay monthly contributions directly to the board's designated carrier. The monthly contributions may include the carrier's administrative costs. [L 1999, c 26, §1]