A. The director may enter into an agreement with a small employer to voluntarily purchase health care coverage offered pursuant to the Group Benefits Act for persons and dependents eligible through the small employer.

B. The director may enter into agreements with an association, cooperative or mutual alliance representing small employers to provide outreach and assistance for small employers to voluntarily purchase health care coverage offered pursuant to the Group Benefits Act for persons and dependents eligible through the small employer.

C. The director shall only permit voluntary purchase of health care coverage by small employers if the small employer has not offered health care coverage to persons and dependents eligible through a small employer for a period of at least twelve months prior to enrollment in the coverage offered pursuant to the Group Benefits Act; provided, however, that the waiting period in this subsection shall not apply to a person having nonprofit status that employs an average of fifty or fewer persons over a twelve-month period.

D. A separate account shall be maintained for small employers that voluntarily elect to purchase health care coverage offered pursuant to the Group Benefits Act to provide separate accounting, payment and private funding of health care coverage for small employers. The funds in the small employers account shall be maintained separately in actuarially sound condition as evidenced by an annual written certification of a qualified actuary, including verification that the premiums charged are actuarially sound in relation to the benefits provided. This certification shall be filed with the superintendent of insurance.

History: Laws 2005, ch. 301, § 4; 2005, ch. 305, § 4; 2007, ch. 111, § 1.

Repeals. — Laws 2005, ch. 305, § 8 repealed Laws 2005, ch. 305, § 4, effective July 1, 2010.

The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, in Subsection C, eliminated the waiting period for a person who has a nonprofit status that employs an average of fifty or fewer persons over a twelve-month period.

Laws 2007, ch. 111, § 1 also reconciled the multiple enactments of this section by Laws 2005, ch. 301, § 4 and Laws 2005, ch. 305, § 4.

2005 amendments. — Laws 2005, ch. 301, § 4 and Laws 2005, ch. 305, § 4, effective July 1, 2005, enacted identical new sections except for the last two sentences of Subsection D.

Temporary provisions. — Laws 2005, ch. 305, § 7, effective July 1, 2005, provided that by January 1, 2010, the superintendent of insurance shall promulgate rules to allow participating small employers and persons and dependents eligible pursuant to this act to participate in the coverage afforded pursuant to the Health Insurance Alliance Act and recommend statutory changes to the Health Insurance Alliance Act as may be needed.