Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-1315

utility districts, nonprofit entities, and other local service

agencies.

A. Upon application in writing and subject to any underwriting

criteria that may be established by the Oklahoma Health Care

Authority, the Authority may extend the benefits of the Oklahoma

Employees Insurance and Benefits Plans to employees who are employed

in positions requiring actual performance of duty during not less

than one thousand (1,000) hours per year and to all full-time

employees of:

1. Any of the following groups which participate in the

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System:

a. county,

b. city,

c. town,

d. public trust for which the state is the primary

beneficiary, or

e. conservation districts; and

2. Any of the following groups:

a. county hospital,

b. rural water district, including employees and board

members,

c. sewer district,

d. gas district,

e. solid waste management district,

f. nonprofit water corporation employees and board

members,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 808

g. conservancy district or master conservancy district

authorized by the provisions of Section 541 of Title

82 of the Oklahoma Statutes,

h. voluntary organization of Oklahoma local government

jurisdictions listed in Section 2003 of Title 62 of

the Oklahoma Statutes including any council created by

the voluntary organizations,

i. voluntary association designated to administer the

County Government Council as authorized in Section 7

of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes,

j. statewide nonprofit entities representing employees of

the state or employees of local political subdivisions

who are eligible for insurance benefits authorized by

the provisions of the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and

Benefits Act, or

k. statewide nonprofit entities receiving state funds to

provide no cost legal services to low income and

senior citizens.

B. Applications to participate in the Oklahoma Employees

Insurance and Benefits Plans shall be approved by majority action of

the governing body of the groups listed in subsection A of this

section.

C. Groups listed in subsection A of this section participating

in the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Plans shall pay all

costs attributable to their participation. The benefits of said

plans for a participant provided coverage pursuant to this section

shall be the same and shall include the same plan options as would

be made available to a state employee participating in the plan that

resided at the same location. The premium for participating groups

listed in subsection A of this section shall be the same as paid by

state and education employees.

D. Participating groups listed in subsection A of this section

shall not be required to offer dental insurance as defined in

paragraph 12 of Section 1303 of this title, or other insurance as

defined in paragraph 13 of Section 1303 of this title. However, if

dental insurance or any other insurance is offered, it must be

provided to all eligible employees. If an employee retires and

begins to receive benefits from the Oklahoma Public Employees

Retirement System or terminates service and has a vested benefit

with the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, the employee

may elect, in the manner provided in Section 1316.2 of this title,

to participate in the dental insurance plan offered through the

Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act within thirty (30)

days from the date of termination of employment. The employee shall

pay the full cost of the dental insurance.

E. 1. Any employee of a group listed in subsection A of this

section who retires or who has a vested benefit pursuant to the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 809

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System may begin the health

insurance coverage if the employer of the employee is not a

participant of the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act and
e dental insurance.

E. 1. Any employee of a group listed in subsection A of this

section who retires or who has a vested benefit pursuant to the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 809

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System may begin the health

insurance coverage if the employer of the employee is not a

participant of the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act and

does not offer health insurance to its employees. Such election by

the employee to begin coverage shall be made within thirty (30) days

from the date of termination of service.

2. Any employee of a group listed in subsection A of this

section who retires or who has a vested benefit pursuant to the

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System may begin or continue

the health insurance coverage if the employer of the employee is a

participant of the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act and

the election to begin or continue coverage is made within thirty

(30) days from the date of termination of service.

F. Any county, city, town, county hospital, public trust,

conservation district, or rural water, sewer, gas or solid waste

management district, or nonprofit water corporation, any of which of

the aforementioned groups is not a participating employer in the

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, but which has employees

who are participating in the health, dental or life insurance plans

offered by or through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits

Act on July 1, 1997, may continue to allow its current and future

employees to participate in such health, dental or life insurance

plans. Participation of such employees may also continue following

termination of employment if the employee has completed at least

eight (8) years of service with a participating employer and such an

election to continue in force is made within thirty (30) days

following termination of employment. Any retiree or terminated

employee electing coverage pursuant to this section shall pay the

full cost of the insurance.

G. An employee of a group listed in paragraph 2 of subsection A

of this section may continue in force health, dental and life

insurance coverage following termination of employment if the

employee has a minimum of eight (8) years of service with a

participating employer and the election to continue in force is made

within thirty (30) calendar days following termination of

employment.

H. Notwithstanding other provisions in this section, an

employer listed in subsection A of this section may cease to

participate in the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act but

provide health insurance coverage for its current and former

employees through another insurance carrier. The subsequent carrier

shall be responsible for providing coverage to the entity's

employees who terminated employment with a retirement benefit, with

a vested benefit, or who have eight (8) or more years of service

with a participating employer but did not have a vested benefit

through the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, if the

election to retain health insurance coverage was made within thirty

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 810
entity's

employees who terminated employment with a retirement benefit, with

a vested benefit, or who have eight (8) or more years of service

with a participating employer but did not have a vested benefit

through the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, if the

election to retain health insurance coverage was made within thirty

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 810

(30) days of termination of employment. Coverage shall also be

provided to the eligible dependents of the employees if an election

to retain coverage is made within thirty (30) days of termination of

employment. Employees who terminate employment from an employer

covered by this subsection before December 31, 2001, and elect

coverage under the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act,

shall not be required to change insurance carriers in the event that

the employer changes its insurance carrier to a subsequent carrier.

The provisions of this subsection shall become effective January 1,

2002.

I. Employers pursuant to subsection A of this section who

participate in the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System and

who offer health insurance coverage to their active employees, shall

offer health insurance coverage to those employees who retire from

the employer and also to those employees who terminate employment

and are eligible to elect a vested benefit in the System. Such

employers shall begin offering coverage to such employees on or

before January 1, 2004. Such employees who wish to continue

coverage shall make an election to retain health insurance coverage

within thirty (30) days of termination of employment. However,

former employees of such employers who have already retired or who

have terminated and are eligible to elect a vested benefit under the

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, during the period

beginning January 1, 2002, and ending December 31, 2003, may make an

election to begin participation in the plans offered by the

Authority on or before December 31, 2003, in the same manner as

other participating retired or vested members. The employer,

assisted by the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System shall

notify by October 1, 2003, all members who have either retired from

the System or who are eligible to elect a vested benefit in the

System between January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2003, and who

were employed by an employer listed in subsection A of this section

of the member's potential eligibility to participate in such plans.

Each employer shall notify the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement

System when an employee is retiring and makes the election pursuant

to this subsection to continue coverage under a plan offered by such

employer and when an employee terminates employment and is eligible

to elect a vested benefit in the System and such employee elects to

continue coverage under a plan offered by such employer. Such

employer shall also notify the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement

System if a retired employee or an employee who is eligible to elect

a vested benefit in the System terminates such continued coverage.

J. Any group that begins participation in the Oklahoma

Employees Insurance and Benefits Plans after March 17, 1970, and

that is not composed of state or education employees must have one

hundred percent (100%) participation in the health plan offered

pursuant to the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 811