§87A-33  State and county contributions; retiredemployees.  (a)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, this section shallapply to state and county contributions to the fund for:

(1)  The dependent-beneficiary of an employee who is killedin the performance of duty;

(2)  A dependent-beneficiary, upon the death of the employee-beneficiary,except as provided in section 87A-36;

(3)  An employee-beneficiary who retired after June 30,1984, due to a disability falling within sections 88-79 and 88-285;

(4)  An employee-beneficiary who retired before July 1,1984;

(5)  An employee-beneficiary who:

(A)  Was hired before July 1, 1996;

(B)  Retired after June 30, 1984; and

(C)  Who has ten years or more of credited service,excluding sick leave;

(6)  An employee-beneficiary who:

(A)  Was hired after June 30, 1996; and

(B)  Retired with twenty-five or more years of creditedservice, excluding sick leave, except as provided in section 87A-36; and

(7)  Employees who retired prior to 1961 and their dependent-beneficiaries.

(b)  Effective July 1, 2003, there is establisheda base monthly contribution for health benefit plans that the State, through thedepartment of budget and finance, and the counties, through their respective departmentsof finance, shall pay to the fund, up to the following:

(1)  $218 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in supplementalmedicare self plans;

(2)  $671 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in supplementalmedicare family plans;

(3)  $342 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in non-medicareself plans; and

(4)  $928 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in non-medicarefamily plans.

The monthly contribution by the State or countyshall not exceed the actual cost of the health benefits plan or plans.  If bothhusband and wife are employee-beneficiaries, the total contribution by the Stateor county shall not exceed the monthly contribution for a supplemental medicarefamily or non-medicare family plan, as appropriate.

(c)  Effective July 1, 2004, there is establisheda base monthly contribution for health benefit plans that the State, through thedepartment of budget and finance, and the counties, through their respective departmentsof finance, shall pay to the fund, up to the following:

(1)  $254 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in supplementalmedicare self plans;

(2)  $787 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in supplementalmedicare family plans;

(3)  $412 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in non-medicareself plans; and

(4)  $1,089 for each employee-beneficiary enrolled in non-medicarefamily plans.

The monthly contribution by the State or countyshall not exceed the actual cost of the health benefit plan or plans and shall notbe required to cover increased benefits above those initially contracted for bythe fund for plan year 2004-2005.  If both husband and wife are employee-beneficiaries,the total contribution by the State or county shall not exceed the monthly contributionfor a supplemental medicare family or non-medicare family plan, as appropriate.

(d)  The base composite monthly contribution shallbe adjusted annually, beginning July 1, 2005.  The adjusted base composite monthlycontribution for each new plan year (July 1 until June 30) shall be calculated byincreasing or decreasing the base composite monthly contribution in effect throughthe end of the previous plan year by the percentage increase or decrease in themedicare part B premium rate for those years, which percentage shall be calculatedby dividing the medicare part B premium rate in effect at the beginning of the newplan year by the rate in effect at the beginning of the previous plan year.

For the plan year beginning July 1, 2005, the adjustedbase monthly contribution shall be computed using the actual contracted premiumrate as of July 1, 2004, for medicare and non-medicare, self and family health benefitsplans with the highest actual contracted premium rate as of July 1, 2004.

As used in this subsection, "medicare partB premium rate" means the rate published in the Federal Register each yearon November 1 or on the business day closest to November 1 of each year after themedicare part B premium rate has been established by the Secretary of Health andHuman Services and approved by the United States Congress.

(e)  If the board adopts a rate structure that providesfor other than self and family rates for the health benefit plans, the base monthlycontribution for the rate structure adopted by the board shall be adjusted to providethe equivalent underwriting cost as the base monthly contribution that is providedfor in this section. [L 2001, c 88, pt of §1; am L 2003, c 111, §2; am L 2007, c26, §1]