2-18-702. Group insurance for public employees and officers. (1) All counties, cities, towns, school districts, and the board of regents shall upon approval by two-thirds vote of their respective officers and employees enter into group hospitalization, medical, health, including long-term disability, accident, or group life insurance contracts or plans for the benefit of their officers and employees and their dependents. The laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of marital status in Title 49 do not prohibit bona fide group insurance plans from providing greater or additional contributions for insurance benefits to employees with dependents than to employees without dependents or with fewer dependents.
     (2) State employees and elected officials, as defined in 2-18-701, may participate in state employee group benefit plans as are provided for under part 8 of this chapter.
     (3) For state officers and employees, the premiums required from time to time to maintain the insurance in force must be paid by the insured officers and employees, and the state treasurer shall deduct the premiums from the salary or wages of each officer or employee who elects to become insured, on the officer's or employee's written order, and issue a warrant for the premiums to the insurer.
     (4) For the purpose of this section, the plans of health service corporations for defraying or assuming the cost of professional services of licentiates in the field of health or the services of hospitals, clinics, or sanitariums or both professional and hospital services must be construed as group insurance and the dues payable under the plans must be construed as premiums for group insurance.
     (5) If the board of trustees of a school district implements a self-insured group health plan or if the board of regents implements an alternative to conventional insurance to provide group benefits to its employees, the board shall maintain the alternative plan on an actuarially sound basis.

     History: (1)En. Sec. 1, Ch. 174, L. 1957; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 83, L. 1965; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 200, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 220, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 382, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 188, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 359, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 437, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 259, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 563, L. 1977; Sec. 11-1024, R.C.M. 1947; (2)En. Sec. 11, Ch. 555, L. 1979; (3), (4)En. Sec. 1, Ch. 248, L. 1963; Sec. 40-3905.1, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 11-1024(1), 40-3905.1; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 184, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 421, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 660, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 139, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 13, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 325, L. 1995.