Senate Bill sb0042B
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 42-B
By Senator Burt
16-484-02
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to health insurance for persons
3 called to active military duty; amending s.
4 627.6692, F.S.; specifying that the termination
5 of employment of an employee after a period of
6 active military duty constitutes a separate
7 qualifying event for purposes of allowing the
8 employee to elect to continue coverage under
9 the employer's group health plan; tolling the
10 maximum time period for which coverage may be
11 continued under an employer's group health plan
12 for an individual who has elected coverage and
13 who is called to active military duty, for the
14 time that the individual is covered under the
15 federal TRICARE health care program; providing
16 a time period within which the individual may
17 elect to continue coverage under the employer's
18 group health plan after TRICARE coverage
19 terminates; providing an effective date.
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21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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23 Section 1. Paragraphs (h) and (i) are added to
24 subsection (5) of section 627.6692, Florida Statutes, to read:
25 627.6692 Florida Health Insurance Coverage
26 Continuation Act.--
27 (5) CONTINUATION OF COVERAGE UNDER GROUP HEALTH
28 PLANS.--
29 (h) If a covered employee is in the military reserve
30 or National Guard and is called to active duty and, after the
31 active duty period ends, the employee's employment is
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 42-B
16-484-02
1 terminated, the termination is a separate qualifying event,
2 distinct from the qualifying event that may have occurred when
3 the employee was called to active duty.
4 (i) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), if a qualified
5 beneficiary in the military reserve or National Guard who
6 elects to continue coverage and is thereafter called to active
7 duty and has the coverage under the group plan terminated by
8 the beneficiary or the carrier due to the qualified
9 beneficiary becoming eligible for TRICARE (the health care
10 program provided by the U.S. Defense Department), the 18-month
11 period or such other applicable maximum time period for which
12 the qualified beneficiary would otherwise be entitled to
13 continue coverage is tolled during the time that he or she is
14 covered under the TRICARE program. Within 30 days after the
15 federal TRICARE coverage terminates, the eligible employee may
16 elect to continue coverage under the group health plan,
17 retroactively to the date coverage terminated under TRICARE,
18 for the remainder of the 18-month period or such other
19 applicable time period as otherwise applied for, subject to
20 termination of coverage at the earliest of the conditions
21 specified in paragraph (b).
22 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
23 law.
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Florida Senate - 2001 SB 42-B
16-484-02
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Specifies that the termination of employment of an
employee after a period of active military duty
4 constitutes a separate qualifying event for purposes of
allowing the employee to elect to continue coverage under
5 the employer's group health plan. Tolls the maximum time
period for which coverage may be continued under an
6 employer's group health plan for an individual who has
elected coverage and who is called to active military
7 duty, for the time that the individual is covered under
the TRICARE health care program. Provides a time period
8 within which the individual may elect to continue
coverage under the employer's group health plan after
9 TRICARE coverage terminates.
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