(a) "Carrier" means an insurance company or health care service contractor holding a valid certificate of authority from the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, an insurance company or health care service contractor licensed or certified in another state that is operating under the laws of that state, or two or more of those companies or contractors acting together pursuant to a joint venture, partnership or other joint means of operation.
(b) "Eligible person" means:
(A) A member of the Public Employees Retirement System who is retired for service or disability and is receiving a retirement allowance or benefit under the system, and a spouse or dependent of that member;
(B) A person who is a surviving spouse or dependent of a deceased retired member of the system or the surviving spouse or dependent of a member of the system who had not retired but who had reached earliest retirement age at the time of death;
(C) A person who is receiving retirement pay or a pension calculated under ORS 1.314 to 1.380 (1989 Edition), and a spouse or dependent of that person; or
(D) A surviving spouse or dependent of a deceased retired member of the system or of a person who was receiving retirement pay or a pension calculated under ORS 1.314 to 1.380 (1989 Edition) if the surviving spouse or dependent was covered at the time of the decedent’s death by a health care insurance plan contracted for under this section.
(c) "Health care" means medical, surgical, hospital or any other remedial care recognized by state law and related services and supplies and includes comparable benefits for persons who rely on spiritual means of healing.
(2) The Public Employees Retirement Board shall conduct a continuing study and investigation of all matters connected with the providing of health care insurance protection to eligible persons. The board shall design benefits, devise specifications, invite proposals, analyze carrier responses to advertisements for proposals and do acts necessary to award contracts to provide health care insurance, including insurance that provides coverage supplemental to federal Medicare coverage, with emphasis on features based on health care cost containment principles, for eligible persons. The board is not subject to the provisions of ORS chapters 279A and 279B, except ORS 279B.235, in awarding contracts under the provisions of this section. The board shall establish procedures for inviting proposals and awarding contracts under this section.
(3) The board shall enter into a contract with a carrier to provide health care insurance for eligible persons for a one or two-year period. The board may enter into more than one contract with one or more carriers, contracting jointly or severally, if in the opinion of the board it is necessary to do so to obtain maximum coverage at minimum cost and consistent with the health care insurance needs of eligible persons. The board periodically shall review a current contract or contracts and make suitable study and investigation for the purpose of determining whether a different contract or contracts can and should, in the best interest of eligible persons, be entered into. If it would be advantageous to eligible persons to do so, the board shall enter into a different contract or contracts. Contracts shall be signed by the chairperson on behalf of the board.
(4) Except as provided in ORS 238.415 and 238.420, the board may deduct monthly from the retirement allowance or benefit, retirement pay or pension payable to an eligible person who elects to participate in a health care insurance plan the monthly cost of the coverage for the person under a health care insurance contract entered into under this section and the administrative costs incurred by the board under this section, and shall pay those amounts into the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account established under subsection (7) of this section. The board by rule may establish other procedures for collecting the monthly cost of the coverage and the administrative costs incurred by the board under this section if the board does not deduct those costs from the retirement allowance or benefit, retirement pay or pension payable to an eligible person.
(5) Subject to applicable provisions of ORS chapter 183, the board may make rules not inconsistent with this section to determine the terms and conditions of eligible person participation and coverage and otherwise to implement and carry out the purposes and provisions of this section and ORS 238.420.
(6) The board may retain consultants, brokers or other advisory personnel, organizations specializing in health care cost containment or other administrative services when it determines the necessity and, subject to the State Personnel Relations Law, shall employ such personnel as are required to assist in performing the functions of the board under this section.
(7) Pursuant to section 401(h) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account is established within the Public Employees Retirement Fund, separate and distinct from the General Fund. All payments made by eligible persons for health insurance coverage provided under this section shall be held in the account. Interest earned by the account shall be credited to the account. All moneys in the account are continuously appropriated to the Public Employees Retirement Board and may be used by the board only to pay the cost of health insurance coverage under this section and to pay the administrative costs incurred by the board under this section.
(8) The sum of all amounts paid by eligible persons into the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account, by participating public employers into the Retiree Health Insurance Premium Account under ORS 238.415, and by participating public employers into the Retirement Health Insurance Account under ORS 238.420, may not exceed 25 percent of the aggregate contributions made by participating public employers to the Public Employees Retirement Fund on or after July 11, 1987, not including contributions made by participating public employers to fund prior service credits.
(9) Until all liabilities for health benefits under the system are satisfied, contributions and earnings in the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account, the Retiree Health Insurance Premium Account under ORS 238.415 and the Retirement Health Insurance Account under ORS 238.420 may not be diverted or otherwise put to any use other than providing health benefits and payment of reasonable costs incurred in administering this section and ORS 238.415 and 238.420. Upon satisfaction of all liabilities for providing health benefits under this section, any amount remaining in the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account shall be returned to the participating public employers who have made contributions to the account. The distribution shall be made in such equitable manner as the board determines appropriate. [Formerly 237.320; 1999 c.317 §16; 1999 c.407 §7; 2003 c.794 §219; 2005 c.808 §§4,5]
Note: 238.410 was added to and made a part of ORS chapter 237 (1993 Edition) by legislative action but was not added to ORS chapter 238 or any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
Structure 2021 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 06 - Local Government, Public Employees, Elections
Chapter 238 - Public Employees Retirement System
Section 238.005 - Definitions.
Section 238.008 - Computation of salary.
Section 238.015 - Membership generally.
Section 238.035 - Membership of part but not all employees of a public employer.
Section 238.068 - Membership of legislators.
Section 238.078 - Reemployment of retired members.
Section 238.082 - Limits on hours worked by retired members.
Section 238.088 - Appointment or election of retired member to public office.
Section 238.095 - Termination of membership.
Section 238.105 - Restoration of credit forfeited by reason of termination of membership.
Section 238.125 - Credit for probationary period of employment.
Section 238.135 - Credit for probationary periods in seasonal positions.
Section 238.148 - Credit for service as public safety officer in another state.
Section 238.160 - Retirement credit for service while on loan to federal government.
Section 238.162 - Retirement credit for service as teacher in public schools of another state.
Section 238.165 - Credit for certain periods of employment by Legislative Assembly.
Section 238.175 - Retirement credit for periods of disability.
Section 238.200 - Employee contributions generally.
Section 238.205 - Payment of employee contribution by employer.
Section 238.215 - Contributions by certain higher education employees.
Section 238.220 - Employee rollover contributions; rules.
Section 238.227 - Pooling of employers for purpose of computing employer contributions.
Section 238.232 - Choice of amortization period for certain lump sum payments to side accounts.
Section 238.255 - Credits to regular accounts when earnings less than assumed interest rate.
Section 238.260 - Variable Annuity Account; rules.
Section 238.265 - Withdrawal of member account.
Section 238.280 - Eligibility for retirement.
Section 238.285 - Verification of retirement data.
Section 238.300 - Service retirement allowance.
Section 238.305 - Optional service retirement allowance calculations.
Section 238.310 - Minimum service retirement allowance.
Section 238.320 - Disability retirement allowance.
Section 238.325 - Optional disability retirement allowance calculations.
Section 238.330 - Minimum disability retirement allowance.
Section 238.350 - Use of unused leave to increase retirement allowance; rules.
Section 238.360 - Cost-of-living adjustments.
Section 238.364 - Calculation of increased benefit payable under ORS 238.362.
Section 238.366 - Retirement allowance increase based on years of service.
Section 238.368 - Retirement allowance increases for members who retired before January 1, 1991.
Section 238.372 - Increased benefits not payable to nonresidents.
Section 238.374 - Applicant’s statement; resumption of residency.
Section 238.376 - Nonresidency after benefits commenced; required statement; subsequent residency.
Section 238.378 - Information from Department of Revenue.
Section 238.390 - Death benefit.
Section 238.395 - Additional death benefit.
Section 238.405 - Death benefit payable to survivors of certain police officers or firefighters.
Section 238.407 - Distribution of death benefit as rollover distribution.
Section 238.410 - Board may contract for insurance for retirees; rules.
Section 238.415 - Payment toward cost of pre-Medicare insurance; rules.
Section 238.420 - Payment toward cost of Medicare supplemental insurance.
Section 238.440 - Optional purchase of benefit units by police and firefighters.
Section 238.442 - Prior service credit.
Section 238.445 - Benefits exempt from execution, bankruptcy and certain taxes; exceptions.
Section 238.450 - Computation of retirement allowance or benefit; notice of dispute.
Section 238.455 - Estimated benefit payments.
Section 238.458 - Unclaimed benefits.
Section 238.460 - Waiver of retirement allowance.
Section 238.462 - Spousal consent required for certain optional forms of retirement allowance.
Section 238.465 - Benefits payable to others under certain judgments; rules.
Section 238.485 - Fund established.
Section 238.488 - Payment of benefits; employer contributions.
Section 238.490 - Administrative expenses.
Section 238.492 - Rules for administration of fund.
Section 238.500 - Definitions for ORS 238.500 to 238.585.
Section 238.505 - Judges as PERS members.
Section 238.515 - Contributions.
Section 238.535 - Service retirement allowance.
Section 238.538 - Health benefit plans for certain retired judge members.
Section 238.545 - Withdrawal of member account; retirement allowance of inactive judge member.
Section 238.555 - Disability retirement allowance.
Section 238.565 - Judge’s beneficiaries; spouse’s pension.
Section 238.575 - Cost-of-living adjustments; ad hoc increase.
Section 238.580 - Application of PERS laws to judges.
Section 238.600 - System established; legislative intent.
Section 238.605 - Actuarial report on system; determination of unfunded actuarial liability.
Section 238.606 - Independent review of actuarial report on system; reports.
Section 238.607 - Actuarial equivalency factor tables.
Section 238.610 - Administrative expenses of system; rules.
Section 238.615 - Revolving fund for payment of administrative expenses.
Section 238.630 - Board generally; rules.
Section 238.640 - Qualifications of board members.
Section 238.650 - Rules of board; written plan document.
Section 238.657 - Board counsel.
Section 238.660 - Fund generally; board review of legislative proposals.
Section 238.670 - Reserve accounts in fund.
Section 238.680 - Integration of other retirement systems.
Section 238.685 - Method of payment of unfunded obligation under integration contract.
Section 238.690 - Integration of retirement plan of mass transit district.
Section 238.692 - Definitions for ORS 238.692 to 238.698.
Section 238.696 - Debt service trust fund.
Section 238.697 - Requirements for issuance of bonds.
Section 238.698 - Funds diversion agreement.
Section 238.705 - State departments to remit contributions and furnish reports.
Section 238.715 - Recovery of overpayments; rules.
Section 238.730 - Unfunded Actuarial Liability Resolution Program.