Part 6.1 - VISION CARE PROGRAM FOR STATE ANNUITANTS

California Government Code — §§ 22959.1-22959.6

Sections (6)

Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 611, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.

This part shall be known and may be cited as the Vision Care Program for State Annuitants. The purpose of this part is to do all of the following:

(a)Promote increased economy and efficiency in the provision of vision benefits to annuitants.

(b)Enable the state to use economies of scale to provide a vision care plan similar to those commonly provided in private industry and in other states.

(c)Recognize and protect the state’s investment in each permanent employee’s service by providing into retirement the option of a vision care program, and to promote and preserve continued good health among state annuitants.

§ 22959.2

Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 665, Sec. 160. (SB 1308) Effective January 1, 2013.

The Vision Care Program for State Annuitants shall be administered by the Department of Human Resources.

§ 22959.3

Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 611, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.

Unless otherwise indicated, the definition of terms in Article 2 (commencing with Section 22760) of Part 5 apply to this part.

§ 22959.4

Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 665, Sec. 161. (SB 1308) Effective January 1, 2013.

(a)An annuitant who retires from the state may enroll in a vision care plan offered under this part, if any of the following apply:

(1)The annuitant was enrolled in a health benefit plan, a dental care plan, or vision care plan at the time of separation for retirement, and retired within 120 days of the date of separation.

(2)The annuitant was not enrolled in a health benefit plan, a dental care plan, or vision care plan at the time of separation for retirement, but was eligible for enrollment as an employee at the time of separation for retirement, and retired within 120 days of the date of separation.

(3)The annuitant is part of the Legislators’ Retirement System receiving an allowance pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 9359) of Chapter 3.5 of Part 1 of Division 2.

(b)The Department of Human Resources has no duty to locate or notify any annuitant who may be eligible to enroll, or to provide names or addresses to any person, agency, or entity for the purpose of notifying those annuitants.

§ 22959.5

Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 611, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.

(a)A person who was enrolled in a vision care plan at the time he or she became an annuitant under state or federal provisions, may continue his or her enrollment, including eligible family members, without discrimination as to benefit coverage as an enrolled person within this program. An annuitant who is eligible for this program is a person who meets the requirements of Section 22959.4 and at the time of retirement was employed with the state as one of the following:

(1)A civil service employee of the state.

(2)An elected member of the Legislature.

(3)A legislative employee.

(4)A constitutional officer.

(5)An employee of the judicial branch of state government.

(b)Annuitants of the California State University and University of California systems may not participate in this program.

§ 22959.6

Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 275, Sec. 6. (AB 1420) Effective January 1, 2014.

(a)The Department of Human Resources may contract with one or more vision care plans for annuitants and eligible family members, provided the carrier or carriers have operated successfully in the area of vision care benefits for a reasonable period, as determined by the Department of Human Resources.

(b)The Department of Human Resources, as the program administrator, has full administrative authority over this program and associated funds and shall require the monthly premium to be paid by the annuitant for the vision care plan. The premium to be paid by the annuitant shall be deducted from his or her monthly allowance. If there are insufficient funds in an annuitant’s allowance

to pay the premium, the plan provider shall directly bill the annuitant. A vision care plan or plans provided under this authority shall be funded by the annuitant’s premium. All premiums received from annuitants shall be deposited in the Vision Care Program for State Annuitants Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. Any income earned on the moneys in the Vision Care Program for State Annuitants Fund shall be credited to the fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340, moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated for the purposes specified in subdivision (d).

(c)An annuitant may enroll in a vision care plan provided by a carrier that also

provides a health benefit plan pursuant to Section 22850 if the employee or annuitant is also enrolled in the health benefit plan provided by that carrier. However, this section may not be construed to require an annuitant to enroll in a vision care plan and a health benefit plan provided by the same carrier. An annuitant enrolled in this program shall only enroll into a vision

plan or vision plans contracted for by the Department of Human Resources.

(d)A contract for a vision care plan may not be entered into unless the Department of Human Resources determines it is reasonable to do so. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any premium moneys paid into this program by annuitants for the purposes of the annuitant vision care plan that is contracted for shall be used for the cost of providing vision care benefits to eligible, enrolled annuitants and their eligible and enrolled dependents, the payment of claims for those vision benefits, and the cost of administration of the vision care plan or plans under this vision care program, those costs being determined by the Department of Human Resources.

(e)If the Director of Human

Resources determines that it is not economically feasible to continue this program anytime after its commencement, the director may, upon written notice to enrollees and to the contracting plan or plans, terminate this program within a reasonable time. The notice of termination to the plan or plans shall be determined by the Department of Human Resources. The notice to enrollees of the termination of the program shall commence no later than three months prior to the actual date of termination of the program.

(f)Premium rates for this program shall be determined by the Department of Human Resources in conjunction with the contracted plan or plans and shall be considered separate and apart from active employee premium rates.