This document includes House Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Fri, Feb 16, 2024 at 11:59 AM by housengrossing.
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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill modifies provisions related to the Volunteer Emergency Medical Service
11 Personnel Insurance Program.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 ▸ defines terms;
15 ▸ expands eligibility for the Volunteer Emergency Medical Service Personnel
16 Insurance Program (program);
17 ▸ allows the program to offer dental benefits, life insurance benefits, and disability
18 insurance benefits;
19 ▸ renames the program; and
20 ▸ makes technical changes.
21 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
22 None
23 Other Special Clauses:
24 This bill provides a special effective date.
25 Utah Code Sections Affected:
26 AMENDS:
27 49-20-201, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 328
28 53-2d-703 (Effective 07/01/24), as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 16
29 and renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 307, 310
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31 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
32 Section 1. Section 49-20-201 is amended to read:
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34 49-20-201. Program participation -- Eligibility -- Optional for certain groups.
35 (1) (a) The state shall participate in the program on behalf of the state's employees.
36 (b) Other employers, including political subdivisions and educational institutions, are
37 eligible, but are not required, to participate in the program on behalf of their employees.
38 (2) (a) As provided in Subsection 26B-3-908(5), the Department of Health and Human
39 Services may participate in the program for the purpose of providing health and dental benefits
40 to children enrolled in the Utah Children's Health Insurance Program created in Title 26B,
41 Chapter 3, Part 9, Utah Children's Health Insurance Program.
42 (b) If the Department of Health and Human Services participates in the program under
43 the provisions of this Subsection (2), all insurance risk associated with the Utah Children's
44 Health Insurance Program shall be the responsibility of the Department of Health and Human
45 Services and not the program or the office.
46 (3) Volunteer emergency medical service personnel are eligible to participate in the
47 program in accordance with Section [
48 (4) A covered individual shall be eligible for coverage after termination of employment
49 under rules adopted by the board.
50 (5) Only the following are eligible for Medicare supplement coverage under this
51 chapter upon becoming eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B coverage:
52 (a) retirees;
53 (b) members;
54 (c) participants;
55 (d) employees who have medical employee benefit plan coverage at the time of their
56 retirement; and
57 (e) current spouses of those who are eligible under Subsections (5)(a) through (d).
58 Section 2. Section 53-2d-703 (Effective 07/01/24) is amended to read:
59 53-2d-703 (Effective 07/01/24). Volunteer Emergency Medical Service Personnel
60 Insurance Program -- Creation -- Administration -- Eligibility -- Benefits -- Rulemaking
61 -- Advisory board.
62 (1) As used in this section:
63 (a) "Basic life insurance benefit" means the standard group life insurance benefit
64 offered by PEHP that combines basic life, line-of-duty, accidental death and disability, and
65 dependent coverage into one benefit package.
66 (b) "Basic long-term disability benefit" means a $1,000 monthly benefit arising from a
67 disability determined in accordance with Title 49, Chapter 21, Public Employee's Long-term
68 Disability Act and excluding any coverage offered on a pilot basis.
69 (c) "Dental plan" means the same as that term is defined in Section 31A-22-646.
70 (d) "Health benefit plan" means the same as that term is defined in Section 31A-1-301.
71 [
72 (i) is licensed as a ground ambulance provider under Part 5, Ambulance and Paramedic
73 Providers; and
74 (ii) as of January 1, 2022, does not offer health insurance benefits to volunteer
75 emergency medical service personnel.
76 [
77 in Section 49-20-103.
78 [
79 government entity described in Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities -
80 Special Districts, or Title 17D, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Other Entities, or
81 an entity created by an interlocal agreement under Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation
82 Act.
83 [
84 political subdivisions in the state.
84a Ĥ→ (i) "Qualifying community" means a city or community that:
84b (a) has a population less than or equal to 3,000; and
84c (b) is located within a county of the second class. ←Ĥ
85 (2) The Volunteer Emergency Medical Service Personnel [
86 shall promote recruitment and retention of volunteer emergency medical service personnel by
87 making [
88 accordance with this section.
89 (3) (a) The bureau shall contract with a qualifying association to create, implement, and
90 administer the Volunteer Emergency Medical Service Personnel [
91 described in this section.
92 (b) The qualifying association will create promotional campaigns for the Volunteer
93 Emergency Medical Service Personnel Insurance Program and volunteer emergency medical
94 service recruitment and retention including outreach to local government entities through social
95 media, video production, and other media platforms.
96 (4) Participation in the program is limited to [
97 any individual who:
98 (a) [
99 technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, or a paramedic;
100 (b) [
101 [
102 governmental entity:
103 (i) by responding to 20% of calls for emergency medical services in a rolling
104 twelve-month period; and
105 (ii) within a Ĥ→ qualifying community or a ←Ĥ county of the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth
105a class by responding to the number
106 of calls described in Subsection (4)(c)(i); and
107 (iii) (A) as a volunteer under the Fair Labor Standards Act, in accordance with 29
108 C.F.R. Sec. 553.106; or
109 (B) as a part-time unbenefited employee, as classified by the employing local
110 government entity;
111 [
112 (i) (A) [
113 employer; and
114 [
115 healthcare program; [
116 (ii) the individual's premium cost for individual, double, or family coverage through
117 another source exceeds 20% or greater of the premium cost of the program created by this
118 section;
119 (e) if seeking dental insurance:
120 (i) (A) is not eligible for a dental plan through an employer or a spouse's employer; and
121 (B) is not eligible for dental coverage under a government sponsored healthcare
122 program; or
123 (ii) the individual's premium cost for individual, double, or family coverage exceeds
124 20% or greater of the premium cost of the program created by this section; and
125 [
126 (5) (a) A participant in the program is eligible to participate in PEHP in accordance
127 with Subsection (5)(b) and Subsection 49-20-201(3).
128 (b) [
129 are limited to health insurance and dental insurance that:
130 (i) covers the program participant and the program participant's eligible dependents on
131 a July 1 plan year;
132 (ii) accepts enrollment during an open enrollment period or for a special enrollment
133 event, including the initial eligibility of a program participant;
134 (iii) if the program participant is no longer eligible for benefits, terminates on the last
135 day of the last month for which the individual is a participant in the Volunteer Emergency
136 Medical Service Personnel [
137 (iv) is not subject to continuation rights under state or federal law.
138 (c) Within existing appropriations, the Volunteer Emergency Medical Service
139 Personnel Insurance Program may offer basic life insurance and long-term disability insurance
140 to participants to enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
141 (6) (a) The bureau may make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
142 Administrative Rulemaking Act, to define additional criteria regarding benefit design, [
143 eligibility for the program[
144 (b) The bureau shall convene an advisory board:
145 (i) to advise the bureau on making rules under Subsection (6)(a); and
146 (ii) that includes representation from at least the following entities:
147 (A) the qualifying association that receives the contract under Subsection (3); and
148 (B) PEHP.
149 (7) For purposes of this section, the qualifying association that receives the contract
150 under Subsection (3) shall be considered the public agency for whom the program participant is
151 volunteering under 29 C.F.R. Sec. 553.101.
152 Section 3. Effective date.
153 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2024.