[§393-13]  Liability for payment of premium;withholding; recovery of premium.  Unless an applicable collectivebargaining agreement specifies differently every employer shall contribute atleast one-half of the premium for the coverage required by this chapter and theemployee shall contribute the balance; provided that in no case shall theemployee contribute more than 1.5 per cent of the employee's wages; andprovided that if the amount of the employee's contribution is less thanone-half of the premium, the employer shall be liable for the whole remainingportion of the premium.

The employer shall withhold the employee'sshare from the employee's wages with respect to pay periods as specified by thedirector.

If an employee separates from the employee'semployment after the employee's employer has prepaid the employee's share ofthe cost of providing health care coverage, the employer may deduct an amountnot to exceed one-half of the premium cost but without regard to the 1.5 percent limitation, from the last salary or wages due the employee, or seek otherappropriate means to recover the premium. [L 1974, c 210, pt of §1; am L 1976,c 206, §1; gen ch 1985]