The commissioner of the Bureau of Employment Programs is hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate for, secure and adopt for the regular employees thereof (other than provisional, temporary, emergency, and intermittent employees) who are in employee status with the Bureau of Employment Programs on and after effective date of this article, a policy or policies of group insurance written by a carrier or carriers chartered under the laws of any state and duly licensed to do business in this state and covering life; health; hospital care; surgical or medical diagnosis, care, and treatment; drugs and medicines; remedial care; other medical supplies and services; or any other combination of these; and any other policy or policies of group insurance which in the discretion of the commissioner bear a reasonable relationship to the foregoing coverages; but subject to the terms and conditions of this article.