Section 2. The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the meanings as defined herein:
(a) “Appropriate public authority”, as to a county, except Worcester county, the county commissioners; as to a city, the mayor; as to a town, the selectmen; as to a district, the governing board thereof and for the purposes of this chapter if a collective bargaining agreement is in place, as to a commonwealth charter school as defined by section 89 of chapter 71, the board of trustees and; as to an education collaborative, as defined by section 4E of chapter 40, the board of directions.
(b) “Dependents”, an employee’s spouse, an employee’s unmarried children under nineteen years of age, and any child nineteen years of age or over who is mentally or physically incapable of earning his own living, provided that any additional premium which may be required is paid for the coverage of such handicapped child. Said definition shall also include an unmarried child nineteen years of age or over who is a full-time student in an educational or vocational institution and whose program of education has not been substantially interrupted by full-time gainful employment excluding service in the armed forces; provided, that any additional premium which may be required for the coverage of such student shall be paid in full by the employee. The standards for such full-time instruction and the time required to complete such a program of education shall be determined by the appropriate public authority.
(c) “District”, any water, sewer, light, fire, veterans’ services or other improvement district or public unit created within one or more political subdivisions of the commonwealth for the purpose of providing public services or conveniences.
(d) “Employee”, any person in the service of a governmental unit or whose services are divided between two or more governmental units or between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, and who receives compensation for such service or services, whether such person be employed, appointed or elected by popular vote, and any employee of a free public library maintained in a city or town to the support of which said city or town annually contributes not less than one half of the cost; provided, the duties of such person require no less than twenty hours, regularly, in the service of the governmental unit during the regular work week of permanent or temporary employment, and provided, further that no seasonal employee or emergency employees shall be included; except that persons elected by popular vote may be considered eligible employees during the entire term for which they are elected regardless of the number of hours devoted to the service of the governmental unit. A member of a call fire department or other volunteer emergency service agency serving a municipality shall be considered an employee, if approved by vote of the municipal legislative body, and the municipality shall charge such individual 100 per cent of the premium. If an employee’s services are divided between governmental units, the employee shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be considered an employee of the governmental unit which pays more than fifty per cent of his salary. But, if no one of said governmental units pays more than fifty per cent of said employee’s salary, the governmental unit paying the largest share of the salary shall consider the employee as its own for membership purposes, and said governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If the payment of an employee’s salary is equally divided between governmental units, the governmental unit having the larger or largest population shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If an employee’s salary is divided in any manner between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, the governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. An employee eligible for coverage under the provisions of this chapter shall not be eligible for coverage as an employee under the provisions of chapter thirty-two A. Teachers and all other public school employees shall be deemed to be employees during the months of July and August for purposes of this chapter; provided, however, that employee contributions for such health insurance for those two months are deducted from the compensation paid for services rendered during the previous school year. A determination by the appropriate public authority that a person is eligible for participation in the plan of insurance shall be final. Nothing in this paragraph shall apply to Worcester county or its employees.
(e) “Employer”, the governmental unit.
(f) “Governmental unit”, any political subdivision of the commonwealth.
(g) “Political subdivision”, any county, except Worcester county, city, town or district.
(h) “Commission”, the group insurance commission established by section three of chapter thirty-two A.
(i) “Optional medicare extension”, a program of hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance for such active employees and their dependents and such retired employees and their dependents, except elderly governmental retirees insured as provided under section eleven B, as are eligible or insured under the federal health insurance for the aged act, as may be amended from time to time.
(j) “Health care organization”, an organization for the group practice of medicine, with or without hospital or other medical institutional affiliations, which furnishes to the patient a specified or unlimited range of medical, surgical, dental, hospital and other types of health care services.
Section 2. The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the meanings as defined herein:
(a) “Appropriate public authority”, as to a county, except Worcester county, the county commissioners; as to a city, the mayor; as to a town, the selectmen; as to a district, the governing board thereof and for the purposes of this chapter if a collective bargaining agreement is in place, as to a commonwealth charter school as defined by section 89 of chapter 71, the board of trustees and; as to an education collaborative, as defined by section 4E of chapter 40, the board of directions.
(b) “Dependents”, an employee’s spouse, an employee’s unmarried children under nineteen years of age, and any child nineteen years of age or over who is mentally or physically incapable of earning his own living, provided that any additional premium which may be required is paid for the coverage of such handicapped child. Said definition shall also include an unmarried child nineteen years of age or over who is a full-time student in an educational or vocational institution and whose program of education has not been substantially interrupted by full-time gainful employment excluding service in the armed forces; provided, that any additional premium which may be required for the coverage of such student shall be paid in full by the employee. The standards for such full-time instruction and the time required to complete such a program of education shall be determined by the appropriate public authority.
(c) “District”, any water, sewer, light, fire, veterans’ services or other improvement district or public unit created within one or more political subdivisions of the commonwealth for the purpose of providing public services or conveniences.
(d) “Employee”, any person in the service of a governmental unit or whose services are divided between two or more governmental units or between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, and who receives compensation for such service or services, whether such person be employed, appointed or elected by popular vote, and any employee of a free public library maintained in a city or town to the support of which said city or town annually contributes not less than one half of the cost; provided, the duties of such person require no less than twenty hours, regularly, in the service of the governmental unit during the regular work week of permanent or temporary employment, and provided, further that no seasonal employee or emergency employees shall be included; except that persons elected by popular vote may be considered eligible employees during the entire term for which they are elected regardless of the number of hours devoted to the service of the governmental unit. A member of a call fire department or other volunteer emergency service agency serving a municipality shall be considered an employee, if approved by vote of the municipal legislative body, and the municipality shall charge such individual 100 per cent of the premium. If an employee’s services are divided between governmental units, the employee shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be considered an employee of the governmental unit which pays more than fifty per cent of his salary. But, if no one of said governmental units pays more than fifty per cent of said employee’s salary, the governmental unit paying the largest share of the salary shall consider the employee as its own for membership purposes, and said governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If the payment of an employee’s salary is equally divided between governmental units, the governmental unit having the larger or largest population shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If an employee’s salary is divided in any manner between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, the governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. An employee eligible for coverage under the provisions of this chapter shall not be eligible for coverage as an employee under the provisions of chapter thirty-two A. Teachers and all other public school employees shall be deemed to be employees during the months of July and August for purposes of this chapter; provided, however, that employee contributions for such health insurance for those two months are deducted from the compensation paid for services rendered during the previous school year. A determination by the appropriate public authority that a person is eligible for participation in the plan of insurance shall be final. Nothing in this paragraph shall apply to Worcester county or its employees.
(e) “Employer”, the governmental unit.
(f) “Governmental unit”, any political subdivision of the commonwealth.
(g) “Political subdivision”, any county, except Worcester county, city, town or district.
(h) “Commission”, the group insurance commission established by section three of chapter thirty-two A.
(i) “Optional medicare extension”, a program of hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance for such active employees and their dependents and such retired employees and their dependents, except elderly governmental retirees insured as provided under section eleven B, as are eligible or insured under the federal health insurance for the aged act, as may be amended from time to time.
(j) “Health care organization”, an organization for the group practice of medicine, with or without hospital or other medical institutional affiliations, which furnishes to the patient a specified or unlimited range of medical, surgical, dental, hospital and other types of health care services.
Section 2. The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the meanings as defined herein:
(a) “Appropriate public authority”, as to a county, except Worcester county, the county commissioners; as to a city, the mayor; as to a town, the selectmen; as to a district, the governing board thereof and for the purposes of this chapter if a collective bargaining agreement is in place, as to a commonwealth charter school as defined by section 89 of chapter 71, the board of trustees and; as to an education collaborative, as defined by section 4E of chapter 40, the board of directions.
(b) “Dependents”, an employee’s spouse, an employee’s unmarried children under nineteen years of age, and any child nineteen years of age or over who is mentally or physically incapable of earning his own living, provided that any additional premium which may be required is paid for the coverage of such handicapped child. Said definition shall also include an unmarried child nineteen years of age or over who is a full-time student in an educational or vocational institution and whose program of education has not been substantially interrupted by full-time gainful employment excluding service in the armed forces; provided, that any additional premium which may be required for the coverage of such student shall be paid in full by the employee. The standards for such full-time instruction and the time required to complete such a program of education shall be determined by the appropriate public authority.
(c) “District”, any water, sewer, light, fire, veterans’ services or other improvement district or public unit created within one or more political subdivisions of the commonwealth for the purpose of providing public services or conveniences.
(d) “Employee”, any person in the service of a governmental unit or whose services are divided between two or more governmental units or between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, and who receives compensation for such service or services, whether such person be employed, appointed or elected by popular vote, and any employee of a free public library maintained in a city or town to the support of which said city or town annually contributes not less than one half of the cost; provided, the duties of such person require no less than twenty hours, regularly, in the service of the governmental unit during the regular work week of permanent or temporary employment, and provided, further that no seasonal employee or emergency employees shall be included; except that persons elected by popular vote may be considered eligible employees during the entire term for which they are elected regardless of the number of hours devoted to the service of the governmental unit. A member of a call fire department or other volunteer emergency service agency serving a municipality shall be considered an employee, if approved by vote of the municipal legislative body, and the municipality shall charge such individual 100 per cent of the premium. If an employee’s services are divided between governmental units, the employee shall, for the purposes of this chapter, be considered an employee of the governmental unit which pays more than fifty per cent of his salary. But, if no one of said governmental units pays more than fifty per cent of said employee’s salary, the governmental unit paying the largest share of the salary shall consider the employee as its own for membership purposes, and said governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If the payment of an employee’s salary is equally divided between governmental units, the governmental unit having the larger or largest population shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. If an employee’s salary is divided in any manner between a governmental unit and the commonwealth, the governmental unit shall contribute fifty per cent of the cost of the premium. An employee eligible for coverage under the provisions of this chapter shall not be eligible for coverage as an employee under the provisions of chapter thirty-two A. Teachers and all other public school employees shall be deemed to be employees during the months of July and August for purposes of this chapter; provided, however, that employee contributions for such health insurance for those two months are deducted from the compensation paid for services rendered during the previous school year. A determination by the appropriate public authority that a person is eligible for participation in the plan of insurance shall be final. Nothing in this paragraph shall apply to Worcester county or its employees.
(e) “Employer”, the governmental unit.
(f) “Governmental unit”, any political subdivision of the commonwealth.
(g) “Political subdivision”, any county, except Worcester county, city, town or district.
(h) “Commission”, the group insurance commission established by section three of chapter thirty-two A.
(i) “Optional medicare extension”, a program of hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance for such active employees and their dependents and such retired employees and their dependents, except elderly governmental retirees insured as provided under section eleven B, as are eligible or insured under the federal health insurance for the aged act, as may be amended from time to time.
(j) “Health care organization”, an organization for the group practice of medicine, with or without hospital or other medical institutional affiliations, which furnishes to the patient a specified or unlimited range of medical, surgical, dental, hospital and other types of health care services.
