House File 913 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 913 BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 112) A BILL FOR An Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in 1 certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each 2 surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa and 3 including retroactive applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1361HV (3) 91 nls/ko
H.F. 913 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 509A.13E Health insurance coverage 1 surviving spouse and children of employees of the state of 2 Iowa. 3 1. For the purposes of this section, eligible employee 4 of the state of Iowa means an employee of the state of 5 Iowa, including but not limited to any department, agency, 6 board, bureau, or commission of the state of Iowa, who is 7 participating in a state health or medical group insurance plan 8 under chapter 509A which covers the employee at the time of 9 death of the employee and whose death has been determined by 10 the department of administrative services to be the direct and 11 proximate result of a traumatic personal injury incurred in the 12 performance of the employees work duties, and to whom none of 13 the following applies: 14 a. The employees death resulted from stress, strain, 15 occupational illness, or a chronic, progressive, or congenital 16 illness, including but not limited to a disease of the heart, 17 lungs, or respiratory system, unless the traumatic personal 18 injury was a substantial contributing factor to the employees 19 death. 20 b. The employees death was caused by the employees 21 intentional misconduct, or by the employees intent to cause 22 the employees own death. 23 c. The employee was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of 24 the employees death. 25 d. The employee was performing the employees duties in a 26 grossly negligent manner at the time of the employees death. 27 2. a. The governing body of the state shall permit 28 continuation of existing health insurance coverage or 29 reenrollment in previously existing coverage for the surviving 30 spouse and each surviving child of an eligible employee of the 31 state of Iowa. 32 b. The governing body of the state shall permit continuation 33 of existing health insurance coverage for the surviving spouse 34 and each surviving child of an employee of the state of Iowa 35 -1- LSB 1361HV (3) 91 nls/ko 1/ 4
H.F. 913 who dies and who is reasonably expected to be determined to be 1 an eligible employee of the state of Iowa, until such time as 2 the determination of eligibility is made. 3 3. The governing body of the state shall not be required to 4 pay for the cost of the health insurance under this section; 5 however, the governing body of the state may pay the full cost 6 or a portion of the cost of the health insurance, in which case 7 the department, agency, board, bureau, commission, or other 8 employing entity of the eligible employee of the state of Iowa 9 shall bear the cost of such health insurance. If the full 10 cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage is not paid by 11 the governing body of the state, the surviving spouse and each 12 surviving child who is eligible for health insurance under this 13 section may elect to continue coverage by paying that portion 14 of the cost of the health insurance not paid by the governing 15 body of the state. 16 4. The governing body of the state shall notify the 17 provider of health insurance coverage for state employees of 18 the identity of the surviving spouse and each surviving child 19 who is to be provided health insurance coverage pursuant to the 20 requirements of this section. 21 5. a. This section shall not require continuation of health 22 insurance coverage if the surviving spouse or a surviving child 23 who would otherwise be entitled to continuation of health 24 insurance coverage under this section was, through the actions 25 of the surviving spouse or the surviving child, a substantial 26 contributing factor to the death of the eligible employee of 27 the state of Iowa. 28 b. This section shall not require continuation of health 29 insurance coverage if the surviving spouse or a surviving child 30 becomes ineligible for health insurance coverage under the 31 terms of the health insurance coverage obtained by the state 32 for reasons other than the death of the eligible employee of 33 the state of Iowa, including but not limited to ineligibility 34 under this chapter, remarriage of the surviving spouse, or 35 -2- LSB 1361HV (3) 91 nls/ko 2/ 4
H.F. 913 ineligibility for continuing coverage for a surviving child 1 pursuant to section 509A.13B. 2 Sec. 2. RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. This Act applies 3 retroactively to January 1, 2024. 4 EXPLANATION 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 6 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 7 This bill provides for the continuation of health insurance 8 (insurance) in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse 9 (spouse) and each surviving child (child) of an eligible 10 employee of the state of Iowa (eligible employee). The bill 11 defines eligible employee as an employee of the state of 12 Iowa, including but not limited to any department, agency, 13 board, bureau, or commission of the state of Iowa, who is 14 participating in a state health or medical group insurance 15 plan under Code chapter 509A which covers the employee at the 16 time of death of the employee and whose death is determined by 17 the department of administrative services to be the direct and 18 proximate result of a traumatic personal injury incurred in 19 the performance of their work duties, and to whom none of the 20 factors detailed in the bill apply. 21 The state must permit continuation of existing insurance, or 22 reenrollment in previously existing insurance, for the spouse 23 and each child of an eligible employee. The bill requires 24 the state to permit continuation of existing insurance for 25 the spouse and each child of an employee who dies and who 26 is reasonably expected to be determined to be an eligible 27 employee, until the determination of eligibility is made. 28 The bill does not require the state to pay for the cost of 29 the insurance; however, the state may pay the full cost or 30 a portion of the cost, in which case the department, agency, 31 board, bureau, commission, or other employing entity of the 32 eligible employee shall bear the cost of such insurance. If 33 the full cost or a portion of the cost of the insurance is not 34 paid by the state, the spouse and each child who is eligible 35 -3- LSB 1361HV (3) 91 nls/ko 3/ 4
H.F. 913 for insurance may elect to continue coverage by paying that 1 portion of the cost of the insurance not paid by the state. 2 The state must notify the provider of the insurance of the 3 identity of the spouse and each child who is to be provided 4 insurance pursuant to the requirements of the bill. 5 The bill does not require continuation of insurance if 6 the spouse or a child who would otherwise be entitled to 7 continuation of insurance was, through the actions of the 8 spouse or of the child, a substantial contributing factor to 9 the death of the eligible employee, or the spouse or a child 10 becomes ineligible for insurance coverage under the terms of 11 the insurance coverage obtained by the state for reasons other 12 than the death of the eligible employee. 13 The bill applies retroactively to January 1, 2024. 14 -4- LSB 1361HV (3) 91 nls/ko 4/ 4