MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2015 Regular Session
To: Insurance; Appropriations
By: Representatives Busby, Barker, Brown (20th), Chism, DeBar, DeLano, Lamar, Zuber, Miles
AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 83-9-24, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT HEALTH PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE STATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, THAT COVER INJECTED, INTRAVENOUSLY ADMINISTERED AND ORAL ANTI-CANCER MEDICATIONS FROM REQUIRING A HIGHER CO-PAYMENT, DEDUCTIBLE OR COINSURANCE AMOUNT FOR PATIENT-ADMINISTERED ANTI-CANCER MEDICATIONS THAN THEY REQUIRE FOR ANTI-CANCER MEDICATIONS INJECTED OR INTRAVENOUSLY ADMINISTERED BY A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, REGARDLESS OF THE FORMULATION OR BENEFIT CATEGORY DETERMINATION; TO PROVIDE THAT HEALTH PLANS AND POLICIES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH THE PROHIBITION BY INCREASING THE CO-PAYMENT, DEDUCTIBLE OR COINSURANCE AMOUNT FOR INJECTED OR INTRAVENOUS ANTI-CANCER MEDICATIONS THAT ARE COVERED UNDER THE PLAN OR POLICY OR BY RECLASSIFYING BENEFITS WITH RESPECT TO ANTI-CANCER MEDICATIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT BOARD TO ACCEPT BIDS FOR THE STATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN FOR SURGICAL SERVICES THAT INCLUDE A NEGOTIATED SINGLE CASE RATE BUNDLE AND PAYMENT FOR ORTHOPEDIC, SPINE, BARIATRIC, CARDIOVASCULAR AND GENERAL SURGERIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 83-9-24, Mississippi Code of 1972:
83-9-24. (1) (a) As used in this section, the following terms shall be defined as provided in this subsection:
(b) "Anti-cancer medication" means drugs and biologics that are used to kill, slow, or prevent the growth of cancerous cells.
(c) "Health plan or policy" means any hospital, health or medical expense insurance policy, hospital or medical service contract, employee welfare benefit plan, contract or agreement with a health maintenance organization or a preferred provider organization, health and accident insurance policy, or any other insurance contract of this type, including a group insurance plan and the State and School Employees Life and Health Insurance Plan.
(2) Any health plan or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2016, that covers anti-cancer medications that are injected or intravenously administered by a health care provider and patient-administered anti-cancer medications, including, but not limited to, those orally administered or self-injected, may not require a higher co-payment, deductible or coinsurance amount for patient-administered anti-cancer medications than it requires for injected or intravenously administered anti-cancer medications, regardless of the formulation or benefit category determination by the policy or plan.
(3) The health insurance policy or plan may not comply with subsection (2) of this section by:
(a) Increasing the co-payment, deductible or coinsurance amount required for injected or intravenously administered anti-cancer medications that are covered under the policy or plan; or
(b) Reclassifying benefits with respect to anti-cancer medications.
SECTION 2. Section 25-15-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
[Through June 30 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-9. (1) (a) The board shall design a plan of health insurance for state employees that provides benefits for semiprivate rooms in addition to other incidental coverages that the board deems necessary. The amount of the coverages shall be in such reasonable amount as may be determined by the board to be adequate, after due consideration of current health costs in Mississippi. The plan shall also include major medical benefits in such amounts as the board determines. The plan shall provide for coverage for telemedicine services as provided in Section 83-9-351. The board is also authorized to accept bids for such alternate coverage and optional benefits as the board deems proper. The board is authorized to accept bids for surgical services that include assistance in locating a surgeon, setting up initial consultation, travel, a negotiated single case rate bundle and payment for orthopedic, spine, bariatric, cardiovascular and general surgeries. The surgical services may only utilize surgeons and facilities located in the State of Mississippi unless otherwise provided by the board. Any contract for alternative coverage and optional benefits shall be awarded by the board after it has carefully studied and evaluated the bids and selected the best and most cost-effective bid. The board may reject all of the bids; however, the board shall notify all bidders of the rejection and shall actively solicit new bids if all bids are rejected. The board may employ or contract for such consulting or actuarial services as may be necessary to formulate the plan, and to assist the board in the preparation of specifications and in the process of advertising for the bids for the plan. Those contracts shall be solicited and entered into in accordance with Section 25-15-5. The board shall keep a record of all persons, agents and corporations who contract with or assist the board in preparing and developing the plan. The board in a timely manner shall provide copies of this record to the members of the advisory council created in this section and those legislators, or their designees, who may attend meetings of the advisory council. The board shall provide copies of this record in the solicitation of bids for the administration or servicing of the self-insured program. Each person, agent or corporation that, during the previous fiscal year, has assisted in the development of the plan or employed or compensated any person who assisted in the development of the plan, and that bids on the administration or servicing of the plan, shall submit to the board a statement accompanying the bid explaining in detail its participation with the development of the plan. This statement shall include the amount of compensation paid by the bidder to any such employee during the previous fiscal year. The board shall make all such information available to the members of the advisory council and those legislators, or their designees, who may attend meetings of the advisory council before any action is taken by the board on the bids submitted. The failure of any bidder to fully and accurately comply with this paragraph shall result in the rejection of any bid submitted by that bidder or the cancellation of any contract executed when the failure is discovered after the acceptance of that bid. The board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection.
The board shall develop plans for the insurance plan authorized by this section in accordance with the provisions of Section 25-15-5.
Any corporation, association, company or individual that contracts with the board for the third-party claims administration of the self-insured plan shall prepare and keep on file an explanation of benefits for each claim processed. The explanation of benefits shall contain such information relative to each processed claim that the board deems necessary, and, at a minimum, each explanation shall provide the claimant's name, claim number, provider number, provider name, service dates, type of services, amount of charges, amount allowed to the claimant and reason codes. The information contained in the explanation of benefits shall be available for inspection upon request by the board. The board shall have access to all claims information utilized in the issuance of payments to employees and providers.
(b) There is created an advisory council to advise the board in the formulation of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan. The council shall be composed of the State Insurance Commissioner, or his designee, an employee-representative of the institutions of higher learning appointed by the board of trustees thereof, an employee-representative of the Department of Transportation appointed by the director thereof, an employee-representative of the Department of Revenue appointed by the Commissioner of Revenue, an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of Health appointed by the State Health Officer, an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of Corrections appointed by the Commissioner of Corrections, and an employee-representative of the Department of Human Services appointed by the Executive Director of Human Services, two (2) certificated public school administrators appointed by the State Board of Education, two (2) certificated classroom teachers appointed by the State Board of Education, a noncertificated school employee appointed by the State Board of Education and a community/junior college employee appointed by the Mississippi Community College Board.
The Lieutenant Governor may designate the Secretary of the Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may designate the Clerk of the House, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the House Education Committee and the Chairman of the House Insurance Committee, to attend any meeting of the State and School Employees Insurance Advisory Council. The appointing authorities may designate an alternate member from their respective houses to serve when the regular designee is unable to attend the meetings of the council. Those designees shall have no jurisdiction or vote on any matter within the jurisdiction of the council. For attending meetings of the council, the legislators shall receive per diem and expenses, which shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same amounts as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session; however, no per diem and expenses for attending meetings of the council will be paid while the Legislature is in session. No per diem and expenses will be paid except for attending meetings of the council without prior approval of the proper committee in their respective houses.
(c) No change in the terms of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan may be made effective unless the board, or its designee, has provided notice to the State and School Employees Health Insurance Advisory Council and has called a meeting of the council at least fifteen (15) days before the effective date of the change. If the State and School Employees Health Insurance Advisory Council does not meet to advise the board on the proposed changes, the changes to the plan shall become effective at such time as the board has informed the council that the changes shall become effective.
(d) Medical benefits for retired employees and dependents under age sixty-five (65) years and not eligible for Medicare benefits. For employees who retire before July 1, 2005, and for employees retiring due to work-related disability under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the same health insurance coverage as for all other active employees and their dependents shall be available to retired employees and all dependents under age sixty-five (65) years who are not eligible for Medicare benefits, the level of benefits to be the same level as for all other active participants. For employees who retire on or after July 1, 2005, and not retiring due to work-related disability under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the same health insurance coverage as for all other active employees and their dependents shall be available to those retiring employees and all dependents under age sixty-five (65) years who are not eligible for Medicare benefits only if the retiring employees were participants in the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan for four (4) years or more before their retirement, the level of benefits to be the same level as for all other active participants. This section will apply to those employees who retire due to one hundred percent (100%) medical disability as well as those employees electing early retirement.
(e) Medical benefits for retired employees and dependents over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits. For employees who retire before July 1, 2005, and for employees retiring due to work-related disability under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the health insurance coverage available to retired employees over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits, and all dependents over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits, shall be the major medical coverage. For employees retiring on or after July 1, 2005, and not retiring due to work-related disability under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the health insurance coverage described in this paragraph (e) shall be available to those retiring employees only if they were participants in the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan for four (4) years or more and are over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits, and to all dependents over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits. Benefits shall be reduced by Medicare benefits as though the Medicare benefits were the base plan.
All covered individuals shall be assumed to have full Medicare coverage, Parts A and B; and any Medicare payments under both Parts A and B shall be computed to reduce benefits payable under this plan.
(f) Lifetime maximum: The lifetime maximum amount of benefits payable under the health insurance plan for each participant is Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00).
(2) Nonduplication of benefits reduction of benefits by Title XIX benefits: When benefits would be payable under more than one (1) group plan, benefits under those plans will be coordinated to the extent that the total benefits under all plans will not exceed the total expenses incurred.
Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall be reduced by any similar benefits payable in accordance with Title XIX of the Social Security Act or under any amendments thereto, or any implementing legislation.
Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall be reduced by any similar benefits payable by workers' compensation.
No health care benefits under the state plan shall restrict coverage for medically appropriate treatment prescribed by a physician and agreed to by a fully informed insured, or if the insured lacks legal capacity to consent by a person who has legal authority to consent on his or her behalf, based on an insured's diagnosis with a terminal condition. As used in this paragraph, "terminal condition" means any aggressive malignancy, chronic end-stage cardiovascular or cerebral vascular disease, or any other disease, illness or condition which physician diagnoses as terminal.
Not later than January 1, 2016, the state health plan shall not require a higher co-payment, deductible or coinsurance amount for patient-administered anti-cancer medications, including, but not limited to, those orally administered or self-injected, than it requires for anti-cancer medications that are injected or intravenously administered by a health care provider, regardless of the formulation or benefit category determination by the plan. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "anti-cancer medications" has the meaning as defined in Section 83-9-24.
(3) (a) Schedule of life insurance benefits group term: The amount of term life insurance for each active employee of a department, agency or institution of the state government shall not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee's annual wage to the next highest One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), with a like amount for accidental death and dismemberment on a twenty-four-hour basis. The plan will further contain a premium waiver provision if a covered employee becomes totally and permanently disabled before age sixty-five (65) years. Employees retiring after June 30, 1999, shall be eligible to continue life insurance coverage in an amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) into retirement.
(b) Effective October 1, 1999, schedule of life insurance benefits group term: The amount of term life insurance for each active employee of any school district, community/junior college, public library or university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus driver shall not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee's annual wage to the next highest One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), with a like amount for accidental death and dismemberment on a twenty-four-hour basis. The plan will further contain a premium waiver provision if a covered employee of any school district, community/junior college, public library or university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus driver becomes totally and permanently disabled before age sixty-five (65) years. Employees of any school district, community/junior college, public library or university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus driver retiring after September 30, 1999, shall be eligible to continue life insurance coverage in an amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) into retirement.
(4) Any eligible employee who on March 1, 1971, was participating in a group life insurance program that has provisions different from those included in this article and for which the State of Mississippi was paying a part of the premium may, at his discretion, continue to participate in that plan. The employee shall pay in full all additional costs, if any, above the minimum program established by this article. Under no circumstances shall any individual who begins employment with the state after March 1, 1971, be eligible for the provisions of this subsection.
(5) The board may offer medical savings accounts as defined in Section 71-9-3 as a plan option.
(6) Any premium differentials, differences in coverages, discounts determined by risk or by any other factors shall be uniformly applied to all active employees participating in the insurance plan. It is the intent of the Legislature that the state contribution to the plan be the same for each employee throughout the state.
(7) On October 1, 1999, any school district, community/junior college district or public library may elect to remain with an existing policy or policies of group life insurance with an insurance company approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board, in lieu of participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. On or after July 1, 2004, until October 1, 2004, any school district, community/junior college district or public library may elect to choose a policy or policies of group life insurance existing on October 1, 1999, with an insurance company approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board in lieu of participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. The state's contribution of up to fifty percent (50%) of the active employee's premium under the State and School Life Insurance Plan may be applied toward the cost of coverage for full-time employees participating in the approved life insurance company group plan. For purposes of this subsection (7), "life insurance company group plan" means a plan administered or sold by a private insurance company. After October 1, 1999, the board may assess charges in addition to the existing State and School Life Insurance Plan rates to such employees as a condition of enrollment in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. In order for any life insurance company group plan to be approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board under this subsection (7), it shall meet the following criteria:
(a) The insurance company offering the group life insurance plan shall be rated "A-" or better by A.M. Best state insurance rating service and be licensed as an admitted carrier in the State of Mississippi by the Mississippi Department of Insurance.
(b) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall provide the same life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and waiver of premium benefits as provided in the State and School Life Insurance Plan.
(c) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall be fully insured, and no form of self-funding life insurance by the company shall be approved.
(d) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall have one (1) composite rate per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of coverage for active employees regardless of age and one (1) composite rate per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of coverage for all retirees regardless of age or type of retiree.
(e) The insurance company and its group life insurance plan shall comply with any administrative requirements of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board. If any insurance company providing group life insurance benefits to employees under this subsection (7) fails to comply with any requirements specified in this subsection or any administrative requirements of the board, the state shall discontinue providing funding for the cost of that insurance.
[From and after July 1 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-9. (1) (a) The board shall design a plan of health insurance for state employees that provides benefits for semiprivate rooms in addition to other incidental coverages that the board deems necessary. The amount of the coverages shall be in such reasonable amount as may be determined by the board to be adequate, after due consideration of current health costs in Mississippi. The plan shall also include major medical benefits in such amounts as the board determines. The plan shall provide for coverage for telemedicine services as provided in Section 83-9-351. The board is also authorized to accept bids for such alternate coverage and optional benefits as the board deems proper. The board is authorized to accept bids for surgical services that include assistance in locating a surgeon, setting up initial consultation, travel, a negotiated single case rate bundle and payment for orthopedic, spine, bariatric, cardiovascular and general surgeries. The surgical services may only utilize surgeons and facilities located in the State of Mississippi unless otherwise provided by the board. Any contract for alternative coverage and optional benefits shall be awarded by the board after it has carefully studied and evaluated the bids and selected the best and most cost-effective bid. The board may reject all of the bids; however, the board shall notify all bidders of the rejection and shall actively solicit new bids if all bids are rejected. The board may employ or contract for such consulting or actuarial services as may be necessary to formulate the plan, and to assist the board in the preparation of specifications and in the process of advertising for the bids for the plan. Those contracts shall be solicited and entered into in accordance with Section 25-15-5. The board shall keep a record of all persons, agents and corporations who contract with or assist the board in preparing and developing the plan. The board in a timely manner shall provide copies of this record to the members of the advisory council created in this section and those legislators, or their designees, who may attend meetings of the advisory council. The board shall provide copies of this record in the solicitation of bids for the administration or servicing of the self-insured program. Each person, agent or corporation that, during the previous fiscal year, has assisted in the development of the plan or employed or compensated any person who assisted in the development of the plan, and that bids on the administration or servicing of the plan, shall submit to the board a statement accompanying the bid explaining in detail its participation with the development of the plan. This statement shall include the amount of compensation paid by the bidder to any such employee during the previous fiscal year. The board shall make all such information available to the members of the advisory council and those legislators, or their designees, who may attend meetings of the advisory council before any action is taken by the board on the bids submitted. The failure of any bidder to fully and accurately comply with this paragraph shall result in the rejection of any bid submitted by that bidder or the cancellation of any contract executed when the failure is discovered after the acceptance of that bid. The board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection.
The board shall develop plans for the insurance plan authorized by this section in accordance with the provisions of Section 25-15-5.
Any corporation, association, company or individual that contracts with the board for the third-party claims administration of the self-insured plan shall prepare and keep on file an explanation of benefits for each claim processed. The explanation of benefits shall contain such information relative to each processed claim that the board deems necessary, and, at a minimum, each explanation shall provide the claimant's name, claim number, provider number, provider name, service dates, type of services, amount of charges, amount allowed to the claimant and reason codes. The information contained in the explanation of benefits shall be available for inspection upon request by the board. The board shall have access to all claims information utilized in the issuance of payments to employees and providers.
(b) There is created an advisory council to advise the board in the formulation of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan. The council shall be composed of the State Insurance Commissioner, or his designee, an employee-representative of the state institutions of higher learning appointed by the board of trustees thereof, an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of Transportation appointed by the director thereof, an employee-representative of the Department of Revenue appointed by the Commissioner of Revenue, an employee-representative of the State Department of Health appointed by the State Health Officer, an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of Corrections appointed by the Commissioner of Corrections, and an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of Human Services appointed by the Executive Director of Human Services, two (2) certificated public school administrators appointed by the State Board of Education, two (2) certificated classroom teachers appointed by the State Board of Education, a noncertificated school employee appointed by the State Board of Education and a community/junior college employee appointed by the Mississippi Community College Board.
The Lieutenant Governor may designate the Secretary of the Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may designate the Clerk of the House, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the House Education Committee and the Chairman of the House Insurance Committee, to attend any meeting of the State and School Employees Insurance Advisory Council. The appointing authorities may designate an alternate member from their respective houses to serve when the regular designee is unable to attend the meetings of the council. Those designees shall have no jurisdiction or vote on any matter within the jurisdiction of the council. For attending meetings of the council, the legislators shall receive per diem and expenses, which shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same amounts as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session; however, no per diem and expenses for attending meetings of the council will be paid while the Legislature is in session. No per diem and expenses will be paid except for attending meetings of the council without prior approval of the proper committee in their respective houses.
(c) No change in the terms of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan may be made effective unless the board, or its designee, has provided notice to the State and School Employees Health Insurance Advisory Council and has called a meeting of the council at least fifteen (15) days before the effective date of the change. If the State and School Employees Health Insurance Advisory Council does not meet to advise the board on the proposed changes, the changes to the plan will become effective at such time as the board has informed the council that the changes will become effective.
(d) Lifetime maximum: The lifetime maximum amount of benefits payable under the health insurance plan for each participant is Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00).
(2) Nonduplication of benefits reduction of benefits by Title XIX benefits: When benefits would be payable under more than one (1) group plan, benefits under those plans will be coordinated to the extent that the total benefits under all plans will not exceed the total expenses incurred.
Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall be reduced by any similar benefits payable in accordance with Title XIX of the Social Security Act or under any amendments thereto, or any implementing legislation.
Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall be reduced by any similar benefits payable by workers' compensation.
No health care benefits under the state plan shall restrict coverage for medically appropriate treatment prescribed by a physician and agreed to by a fully informed insured, or if the insured lacks legal capacity to consent by a person who has legal authority to consent on his or her behalf, based on an insured's diagnosis with a terminal condition. As used in this paragraph, "terminal condition" means any aggressive malignancy, chronic end-stage cardiovascular or cerebral vascular disease, or any other disease, illness or condition which physician diagnoses as terminal.
Not later than January 1, 2016, the state health plan shall not require a higher co-payment, deductible or coinsurance amount for patient-administered anti-cancer medications, including, but not limited to, those orally administered or self-injected, than it requires for anti-cancer medications that are injected or intravenously administered by a health care provider, regardless of the formulation or benefit category determination by the plan. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "anti-cancer medications" has the meaning as defined in Section 83-9-24.
(3) (a) Schedule of life insurance benefits group term: The amount of term life insurance for each active employee of a department, agency or institution of the state government shall not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee's annual wage to the next highest One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), with a like amount for accidental death and dismemberment on a twenty-four-hour basis.
(b) Effective October 1, 1999, schedule of life insurance benefits group term: The amount of term life insurance for each active employee of any school district, community/junior college, public library, university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children, or any regular nonstudent bus driver shall not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee's annual wage to the next highest One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), with a like amount for accidental death and dismemberment on a twenty-four-hour basis. The plan will further contain a premium waiver provision if a covered employee of any school district, community/junior college, public library, university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children, or any regular nonstudent bus driver becomes totally and permanently disabled before age sixty-five (65) years.
(4) Any eligible employee who on March 1, 1971, was participating in a group life insurance program that has provisions different from those included in this article and for which the State of Mississippi was paying a part of the premium may, at his discretion, continue to participate in that plan. The employee shall pay in full all additional costs, if any, above the minimum program established by this article. Under no circumstances shall any individual who begins employment with the state after March 1, 1971, be eligible for the provisions of this subsection.
(5) The board may offer medical savings accounts as defined in Section 71-9-3 as a plan option.
(6) Any premium differentials, differences in coverages, discounts determined by risk or by any other factors shall be uniformly applied to all active employees participating in the insurance plan. It is the intent of the Legislature that the state contribution to the plan be the same for each employee throughout the state.
(7) On October 1, 1999, any school district, community/junior college district or public library may elect to remain with an existing policy or policies of group life insurance with an insurance company approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board, in lieu of participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. On or after July 1, 2004, until October 1, 2004, any school district, community/junior college district or public library may elect to choose a policy or policies of group life insurance existing on October 1, 1999, with an insurance company approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board in lieu of participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. The state's contribution of up to fifty percent (50%) of the active employee's premium under the State and School Life Insurance Plan may be applied toward the cost of coverage for full-time employees participating in the approved life insurance company group plan. For purposes of this subsection (7), "life insurance company group plan" means a plan administered or sold by a private insurance company. After October 1, 1999, the board may assess charges in addition to the existing State and School Life Insurance Plan rates to those employees as a condition of enrollment in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. In order for any life insurance company group plan to be approved by the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board under this subsection (7), it shall meet the following criteria:
(a) The insurance company offering the group life insurance plan shall be rated "A-" or better by A.M. Best state insurance rating service and be licensed as an admitted carrier in the State of Mississippi by the Mississippi Department of Insurance.
(b) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall provide the same life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and waiver of premium benefits as provided in the State and School Life Insurance Plan.
(c) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall be fully insured, and no form of self-funding life insurance by the company shall be approved.
(d) The insurance company group life insurance plan shall have one (1) composite rate per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of coverage for active employees regardless of age.
(e) The insurance company and its group life insurance plan shall comply with any administrative requirements of the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board. If any insurance company providing group life insurance benefits to employees under this subsection (7) fails to comply with any requirements specified in this subsection or any administrative requirements of the board, the state shall discontinue providing funding for the cost of that insurance.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.