§ 9-3-201 — Group prepaid plans authorized; agreements with insurance companies authorized; limitation on authorized plans and companies; payroll deductions; self-insurance programs; optional school district participation in plan

(a) The state of Wyoming and its political subdivisions
and school districts may obtain group prepaid plans or insurance
for life, health, accident or hospitalization for their
employees and for elected officials, except for members of the
legislature, and enter into agreements with prepaid plans or
insurance companies to provide this coverage. Insurance
coverage for school district or board of cooperative educational
services employees meeting the definition of employee under W.S.
9-3-203(a)(iv), shall, if elected by the district or board under
subsection (e) of this section, be provided through the state
employees' and officials' group insurance plan in accordance
with W.S. 9-3-202 through 9-3-218. Insurance coverage for
retired school district or board of cooperative educational
services employees shall, if elected by the board or district
under subsection (e) of this section and if the retired employee
was continuously covered under the board's or district's
insurance plan prior to the election, be provided through the
state employees' and officials' group insurance plan in
accordance with W.S. 9-3-202 through 9-3-218. If a school
district or board of cooperative educational services elects to
cease participation in the group insurance plan pursuant to
subsection (f) of this section, the election shall apply to
retired employees of that board or district who are receiving
coverage under this subsection.
(b) Prepaid plans or insurance shall be procured only from
prepaid plans authorized to do business in the state of Wyoming
or from insurance companies authorized to do business in the
state of Wyoming and under the full jurisdiction of the Wyoming
insurance commissioner.
(c) Upon a request in writing from any employee of the
state of Wyoming, any covered political subdivision thereof or a
participating school district, the state auditor or the proper
officer in any political subdivision or school district may
deduct from the wages of the employee the amount of the premium
which the employee has agreed to pay for the prepaid plans or
insurance, and to pay or remit the payment directly to the
prepaid plan or insurance company issuing the group plan or
insurance.
(d) The state and any political subdivision are authorized
to utilize a self-insurance program, provided that a defined
plan with proper funding is first adopted and the cost of the
plan is included in the annual budget and provided the
self-insurance program includes any coverage mandated by Wyoming
insurance law. Any self-insurance program, including the Wyoming
state employees' and officials' group insurance plan, adopted
pursuant to this section shall be within the jurisdiction of the
insurance commissioner under the provisions of title 26,
Wyoming statutes.
(e) Any school district or board of cooperative
educational services may elect to participate in the state
employees' and officials' group insurance plan by filing
notification of election with the department of administration
and information on a form and in a manner as prescribed by the
department. Participation in the plan for any electing board or
district shall commence not less than one hundred twenty (120)
days following the date on which the board or district filed
notification under this subsection and shall be identical to
plans and coverage provided other enrollees under this act. The
department shall notify the electing board or district of the
date on which the board or district is eligible to participate
in the state group insurance plan. An election by a board or
district to participate in the state group insurance plan under
this subsection is irrevocable for a period of five (5) years
from the date on which plan participation originally commenced.
In addition to all other remedies available to the department,
if a district or board withdraws from the state group insurance
plan during the period of irrevocability, the department may
assess against the withdrawing board or district the amount by
which all claims paid on behalf of employees of the board or
district exceeds total premiums paid by the board or district
and their employees. A board or district may renew its initial
participation in the state group insurance plan without
interruption upon submitting notification of renewal to the
department prior to expiration of the initial five (5) year
participation period. Renewal of plan participation shall be
irrevocable for an additional period of not less than five (5)
years.
(f) Any school district or board of cooperative
educational services which has elected to participate in the
state employees' and officials' group insurance plan under
subsection (e) of this section may, upon expiration of the
initial five (5) years of plan participation required under
subsection (e) of this section, elect to cease participation in
the state group insurance plan by filing notification of the
election to the department on a form and in a manner prescribed
by the department. An election under this subsection shall
prohibit the board or district from participation in the state
group insurance plan for a period of five (5) years commencing
on the date plan participation ceased. Participation in the
plan for any board or district electing to cease plan
participation under this subsection shall be discontinued on a
date determined by the department in consultation with the board
or district, but in no event later than one hundred twenty (120)
days following the date on which the board or district filed
notification under this subsection.