1. Each board shall provide or contract, or both, for life insurance benefits for employees covered pursuant to the year 2000 plan as follows:
(1)Employees shall be provided fifteen thousand dollars of life insurance until December 31, 2000. Effective January 1, 2001, the system shall provide or contract or both for basic life insurance for employees covered under any retirement plan administered by the system pursuant to this chapter, persons covered by sections 287.812 to 287.856 , for employees who are members of the judicial retirement system as provided in section 476.590 , and, at the election of the state highways and transportation commission, employees who are members of the Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system, in the amount e
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1. Each board shall provide or contract, or both, for life insurance benefits for employees covered pursuant to the year 2000 plan as follows:
(1) Employees shall be provided fifteen thousand dollars of life insurance until December 31, 2000. Effective January 1, 2001, the system shall provide or contract or both for basic life insurance for employees covered under any retirement plan administered by the system pursuant to this chapter, persons covered by sections 287.812 to 287.856 , for employees who are members of the judicial retirement system as provided in section 476.590 , and, at the election of the state highways and transportation commission, employees who are members of the Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system, in the amount equal to one times annual pay, subject to a minimum amount of fifteen thousand dollars. The board shall establish by rule or contract the method for determining the annual rate of pay and any other terms of such insurance as it deems necessary to implement the requirements pursuant to this section. Annual rate of pay shall not include overtime or any other irregular payments as determined by the board. Such life insurance shall provide for triple indemnity in the event the cause of death is a proximate result of a personal injury or disease arising out of and in the course of actual performance of duty as an employee;
(2) Any member who terminates employment after reaching normal or early retirement eligibility and becomes a retiree within sixty-five days of such termination shall receive five thousand dollars of life insurance coverage.
2. (1) In addition to the life insurance authorized by the provisions of subsection 1 of this section, any person for whom life insurance is provided or contracted for pursuant to such subsection may purchase, at the person's own expense and only if monthly voluntary payroll deductions are authorized, additional life insurance at a cost to be stipulated in a contract with a private insurance company or as may be required by a system if the board of trustees determines that the system should provide such insurance itself. The maximum amount of additional life insurance which may be so purchased prior to January 1, 2004, is that amount which equals six times the amount of the person's annual rate of pay, subject to any maximum established by a board, except that if such maximum amount is not evenly divisible by one thousand dollars, then the maximum amount of additional insurance which may be purchased is the next higher amount evenly divisible by one thousand dollars. The maximum amount of additional life insurance which may be so purchased on or after January 1, 2004, is an amount to be stipulated in a contract with a private insurance company or as may be required by the system if the board of trustees determines that the system should provide the insurance itself.
(2) Any person defined in subdivision (1) of this subsection may retain an amount not to exceed sixty thousand dollars of life insurance following the date of his or her retirement if such person becomes a retiree the month following termination of employment and makes written application for such life insurance at the same time such person's application is made to the board for retirement benefits. Such life insurance shall only be provided if such person pays the entire cost of the insurance, as determined by the board, by allowing voluntary deductions from the member's annuity.
(3) In addition to the life insurance authorized in subdivision (1) of this subsection, any person for whom life insurance is provided or contracted for pursuant to this subsection may purchase, at the person's own expense and only if monthly voluntary payroll deductions are authorized, life insurance covering the person's children or the person's spouse or both at coverage amounts to be determined by the board at a cost to be stipulated in a contract with a private insurer or as may be required by the system if the board of trustees determines that the system should provide such insurance itself.
(4) Effective July 1, 2000, any member who applies and is eligible to receive an annuity based on the attainment of at least forty-eight years of age with a total of years of age and years of credited service which is at least eighty shall be eligible to retain any optional life insurance described in subdivision (1) of this subsection. The amount of such retained insurance shall not be greater than the amount in effect during the month prior to termination of employment. Such insurance may be retained until the member's attainment of the earliest age for eligibility for reduced Social Security retirement benefits but no later than age sixty-two, at which time the amount of such insurance that may be retained shall be that amount permitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.
3. The state highways and transportation commission may provide for insurance benefits to cover medical expenses for members of the Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system. The state highways and transportation commission may provide medical benefits for dependents of members and for retired members. Contributions by the state highways and transportation commission to provide the benefits shall be on the same basis as provided for other state employees pursuant to the provisions of section 104.515 . Except as otherwise provided by law, the cost of benefits for dependents of members and for retirees and their dependents shall be paid by the members or retirees. The commission may contract with other persons or entities including but not limited to third-party administrators, health network providers and health maintenance organizations for all, or any part of, the benefits provided for in this section. The commission may require reimbursement of any medical claims paid by the commission's medical plan for which there was third-party liability.
4. The Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system may request the state highways and transportation commission to provide life insurance benefits as required in subsections 1 and 2 of this section. If the state highways and transportation commission agrees to the request, the Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system shall reimburse the state highways and transportation commission for any and all costs for life insurance provided pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section. The person who is covered pursuant to subsection 2 of this section shall be solely responsible for the costs of any additional life insurance. In lieu of the life insurance benefit in subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section, the Missouri department of transportation and highway patrol employees' retirement system is authorized in its sole discretion to provide a death benefit of five thousand dollars.
5. To the extent that the board enters or has entered into any contract with any insurer or service organization to provide life insurance provided for pursuant to this section:
(1) The obligation to provide such life insurance shall be primarily that of the insurer or service organization and secondarily that of the board;
(2) Any member who has been denied life insurance benefits by the insurer or service organization and has exhausted all appeal procedures provided by the insurer or service organization may appeal such decision by filing a petition against the insurer or service organization in a court of law in the member's county of residence; and
(3) The board and the system shall not be liable for life insurance benefits provided by an insurer or service organization pursuant to this section and shall not be subject to any cause of action with regard to life insurance benefits or the denial of life insurance benefits by the insurer or service organization unless the member has obtained judgment against the insurer or service organization for life insurance benefits and the insurer or service organization is unable to satisfy that judgment.