| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to small employer health insurance; |
| 3 | creating s. 627.6565, F.S.; authorizing certain small |
| 4 | employers to contract with the Department of Management |
| 5 | Services to participate in the state group health |
| 6 | insurance program; providing requirements for employers |
| 7 | and employees relating to payroll deductions and |
| 8 | contributions; providing for an administrative fee; |
| 9 | requiring the department to maintain separate accounting |
| 10 | for such program participation; providing an effective |
| 11 | date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. Section 627.6565, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 16 | to read: |
| 17 | 627.6565 Small employer health insurance; state group |
| 18 | health insurance program participation.-- |
| 19 | (1) Any small employer as defined in s. 627.6699, |
| 20 | including the employer?s eligible employees and dependents of |
| 21 | such employees as defined in s. 627.6699, may contract with the |
| 22 | Department of Management Services to participate in the state |
| 23 | group health insurance program under s. 110.123 and purchase |
| 24 | coverage under the state group health insurance plan. Each small |
| 25 | business employer who participates in the state group health |
| 26 | insurance program shall collect payroll deductions or other |
| 27 | remuneration from qualified employees as may be required for the |
| 28 | employee contribution in accordance with the department?s |
| 29 | regulations. The employer shall make the required contributions |
| 30 | that will be applied toward the cost of the monthly premiums and |
| 31 | shall pay an annual administrative fee of not less than $5 per |
| 32 | enrollee per month, which fee shall be determined by the |
| 33 | department. Each individual employer shall determine the |
| 34 | proportionate contribution of the monthly premium for the |
| 35 | participants in the employer?s business. |
| 36 | (2) The department shall maintain a separate accounting |
| 37 | for all records of those small employers electing coverage under |
| 38 | this section, including all statistical information necessary to |
| 39 | make actuarial assumptions for the group. |
| 40 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |