Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Plan for state-certified law enforcement employees and support personnel; establish.

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To: Insurance; Finance
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Brumfield

SENATE BILL NO. 2723

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION 1
PLAN FOR STATE-CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORT 2
PERSONNEL TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES 3
HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT BOARD; TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI 4
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUCH PLAN AND 5
TO PRESCRIBE THE AMOUNT OF SUCH CONTRIBUTIONS SUBJECT TO 6
APPROPRIATION; TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 7
TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE 8
MANAGEMENT BOARD TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN 9
FOR STATE-CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES, DESIGNATED SUPPORT 10
PERSONNEL AND ELIGIBLE RETIREES WITH ENHANCED BENEFITS TO 11
RECOGNIZE THE CUMULATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH LONG-TERM 12
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICE; TO PROVIDE FOR A DISCIPLINARY ADJUSTMENT 13
PROVISION; TO ESTABLISH A STATE PUBLIC SAFETY RETIREE HEALTH TRUST 14
FUND DEDICATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT 15
PERSONNEL'S RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE 16
FEDERAL MEDICARE PROGRAM; TO AUTHORIZE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT 17
OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO MAKE INCREMENTAL EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 18
ENHANCED HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS 19
DURING ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-3, MISSISSIPPI 20
CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY THERETO; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 21
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 22
SECTION 1. (1) To reduce out-of-pocket costs and improve 23
healthcare access, the State and School Employees Health Insurance 24
Management Board shall designate a special tier healthcare plan 25
for (a) state-certified law enforcement employees, their spouses 26
and dependents, (b) designated support personnel, their spouses 27
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and dependents, and (c) eligible retirees, their spouses and 28
dependents, under the State and School Employees' Health Insurance 29
Plan, in order to recognize the cumulative health impacts 30
associated with long-term public safety service. The enhanced 31
tier shall provide: lower deductibles, reduced co-payments, lower 32
out-of-pocket maximums, improved mental health and preventive care 33
coverage. 34
(2) The state shall contribute toward retiree health 35
insurance premiums for eligible state-certified law enforcement 36
officers as follows: 37
(a) Twenty-five (25) or more accumulated years of 38
certified state service qualifies for one hundred percent (100%) 39
state-paid health insurance premium. 40
(b) Twenty (20) through twenty-four (24) accumulated 41
years of certified state service qualifies for sixty-five percent 42
(65%) state-paid health insurance premium. 43
(c) Fifteen (15) through nineteen (19) accumulated 44
years of certified state service qualifies for thirty percent 45
(30%) state-paid health insurance premium. 46
(d) Fewer than fifteen (15) years of accredited state 47
service: not eligible under this program. 48
(3) To recognize the vital role of support personnel while 49
maintaining fiscal balance, the state shall contribute toward 50
retiree health insurance premiums for eligible designated public 51
safety support personnel as follows: 52
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(a) Twenty-five (25) or more accumulated years of state 53
service: seventy-five percent (75%) state-paid health insurance 54
premium; 55
(b) Twenty (20) through twenty-four (24) accumulated 56
years of state service: fifty percent (50%) state-paid health 57
insurance premium; 58
(c) Fifteen (15) through nineteen (19) accumulated 59
years of state service: twenty-five percent (25%) state-paid 60
health insurance premium; 61
(d) Fewer than fifteen (15) years of state service: 62
not eligible under this program. 63
(4) There is hereby established in the State Treasury the 64
State Public Safety Retiree Health Trust Fund to be expended by 65
the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, subject to 66
appropriation by the Legislature, for law enforcement and public 67
safety support personnel's retiree health benefits to be 68
coordinated with the federal Medicare Program. 69
(5) The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is 70
authorized, subject to specific appropriation therefor by the 71
Legislature, to provide for actuarially correct salary increases 72
for public safety positions during active employment in order to 73
reduce employee turnover and new training costs. 74
(6) (a) This section applies only to State of Mississippi 75
employees and shall include: 76
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(i) State-certified law enforcement employees who 77
are sworn officers holding active Mississippi law enforcement 78
certification, and employed by a State of Mississippi agency in a 79
law enforcement capacity. 80
(ii) Designated Public Safety support personnel 81
who are nonsworn state employees assigned to support law 82
enforcement operations, including, but not limited to: 83
1. Dispatchers and communications personnel; 84
2. Administrative and clerical staff; 85
3. Secretaries and records personnel; and 86
4. Maintenance and facilities personnel 87
directly supporting law enforcement operations. 88
(b) This section does not apply to: 89
(i) Municipal or county employees; 90
(ii) Sheriff's departments; 91
(iii) Federal employees; and 92
(iv) Private contractors. 93
(c) All eligible employees shall: 94
(i) Retire in good standing under PERS; and 95
(ii) Elect continued participation in the 96
Mississippi State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan. 97
(7) To ensure accountability and professionalism: 98
(a) Specific qualifying disciplinary actions may result 99
in a five percent (5%) reduction in the state's contribution 100
percentage per occurrence. 101
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(b) Reductions shall not reduce the contribution below 102
zero. 103
(c) Qualifying disciplinary actions shall be defined by 104
statute or administrative rule and shall exclude minor, 105
administrative, or nonsustained infractions. 106
(d) This subsection shall apply to both sworn law 107
enforcement officers and designated support. 108
SECTION 2. Section 25-15-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 109
amended as follows: 110
25-15-3. For the purposes of this article, the words and 111
phrases used herein shall have the following meanings: 112
(a) "Employee" means a person who works full time for 113
the State of Mississippi and receives his compensation in a direct 114
payment from a department, agency or institution of the state 115
government and any person who works full time for any school 116
district, community/junior college, public library or 117
university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for 118
deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular 119
nonstudent bus driver. This shall include legislators, employees 120
of the legislative branch and the judicial branch of the state and 121
"employees" shall include full-time salaried judges and full-time 122
district attorneys and their staff and full-time compulsory school 123
attendance officers. For the purposes of this article, any 124
"employee" making contributions to the State of Mississippi 125
retirement plan shall be considered a full-time employee. For 126
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purposes of this article, "employee" shall not mean contract 127
personnel. 128
(b) "Department" means the Department of Finance and 129
Administration. 130
(c) "Plan" means the State and School Employees' Life 131
and Health Insurance Plan created under this article, and shall 132
include the Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Plan for 133
state-certified law enforcement employees and support personnel 134
established under Section 1 of this act. 135
(d) "Fund" means the State and School Employees 136
Insurance Fund set up under this article. 137
(e) "Retiree" means any employee retired under the 138
Mississippi retirement plan. 139
(f) "Board" means the State and School Employees Health 140
Insurance Management Board created under Section 25-15-303. 141
SECTION 3. Section 25-15-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 142
amended as follows: 143
25-15-9. (1) (a) The board shall design a plan of health 144
insurance for state employees that provides benefits for 145
semiprivate rooms in addition to other incidental coverages that 146
the board deems necessary. The amount of the coverages shall be 147
in such reasonable amount as may be determined by the board to be 148
adequate, after due consideration of current health costs in 149
Mississippi. The plan shall also include major medical benefits 150
in such amounts as the board determines. The plan shall provide 151
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for coverage for telemedicine services as provided in Section 152
83-9-351. The board is also authorized to accept bids for such 153
alternate coverage and optional benefits as the board deems 154
proper. The board is authorized to accept bids for surgical 155
services that include assistance in locating a surgeon, setting up 156
initial consultation, travel, a negotiated single case rate bundle 157
and payment for orthopedic, spine, bariatric, cardiovascular and 158
general surgeries. The surgical services may only utilize 159
surgeons and facilities located in the State of Mississippi unless 160
otherwise provided by the board. Any contract for alternative 161
coverage and optional benefits shall be awarded by the board after 162
it has carefully studied and evaluated the bids and selected the 163
best and most cost-effective bid. The board may reject all of the 164
bids; however, the board shall notify all bidders of the rejection 165
and shall actively solicit new bids if all bids are rejected. The 166
board may employ or contract for such consulting or actuarial 167
services as may be necessary to formulate the plan, and to assist 168
the board in the preparation of specifications and in the process 169
of advertising for the bids for the plan. Those contracts shall 170
be solicited and entered into in accordance with Section 25-15-5. 171
The board shall keep a record of all persons, agents and 172
corporations who contract with or assist the board in preparing 173
and developing the plan. The board in a timely manner shall 174
provide copies of this record to the members of the advisory 175
council created in this section and those legislators, or their 176
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designees, who may attend meetings of the advisory council. The 177
board shall provide copies of this record in the solicitation of 178
bids for the administration or servicing of the self-insured 179
program. Each person, agent or corporation that, during the 180
previous fiscal year, has assisted in the development of the plan 181
or employed or compensated any person who assisted in the 182
development of the plan, and that bids on the administration or 183
servicing of the plan, shall submit to the board a statement 184
accompanying the bid explaining in detail its participation with 185
the development of the plan. This statement shall include the 186
amount of compensation paid by the bidder to any such employee 187
during the previous fiscal year. The board shall make all such 188
information available to the members of the advisory council and 189
those legislators, or their designees, who may attend meetings of 190
the advisory council before any action is taken by the board on 191
the bids submitted. The failure of any bidder to fully and 192
accurately comply with this paragraph shall result in the 193
rejection of any bid submitted by that bidder or the cancellation 194
of any contract executed when the failure is discovered after the 195
acceptance of that bid. The board is authorized to promulgate 196
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this 197
subsection. 198
The board shall develop plans for the insurance plan 199
authorized by this section in accordance with the provisions of 200
Section 25-15-5. 201
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Any corporation, association, company or individual that 202
contracts with the board for the third-party claims administration 203
of the self-insured plan shall prepare and keep on file an 204
explanation of benefits for each claim processed. The explanation 205
of benefits shall contain such information relative to each 206
processed claim that the board deems necessary, and, at a minimum, 207
each explanation shall provide the claimant's name, claim number, 208
provider number, provider name, service dates, type of services, 209
amount of charges, amount allowed to the claimant and reason 210
codes. The information contained in the explanation of benefits 211
shall be available for inspection upon request by the board. The 212
board shall have access to all claims information utilized in the 213
issuance of payments to employees and providers. 214
(b) There is created an advisory council to advise the 215
board in the formulation of the State and School Employees' Health 216
Insurance Plan. The council shall be composed of the State 217
Insurance Commissioner, or his designee, an 218
employee-representative of the institutions of higher learning 219
appointed by the board of trustees thereof, an 220
employee-representative of the Department of Transportation 221
appointed by the director thereof, an employee-representative of 222
the Department of Revenue appointed by the Commissioner of 223
Revenue, an employee-representative of the Mississippi Department 224
of Health appointed by the State Health Officer, an 225
employee-representative of the Mississippi Department of 226
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Corrections appointed by the Commissioner of Corrections, and an 227
employee-representative of the Department of Human Services 228
appointed by the Executive Director of Human Services, two (2) 229
certificated public school administrators appointed by the State 230
Board of Education, two (2) certificated classroom teachers 231
appointed by the State Board of Education, a noncertificated 232
school employee appointed by the State Board of Education and a 233
community/junior college employee appointed by the Mississippi 234
Community College Board. 235
The Lieutenant Governor may designate the Secretary of the 236
Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the 237
Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the Chairman of the 238
Senate Insurance Committee, and the Speaker of the House of 239
Representatives may designate the Clerk of the House, the Chairman 240
of the House Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the House 241
Education Committee and the Chairman of the House Insurance 242
Committee, to attend any meeting of the State and School Employees 243
Insurance Advisory Council. The appointing authorities may 244
designate an alternate member from their respective houses to 245
serve when the regular designee is unable to attend the meetings 246
of the council. Those designees shall have no jurisdiction or 247
vote on any matter within the jurisdiction of the council. For 248
attending meetings of the council, the legislators shall receive 249
per diem and expenses, which shall be paid from the contingent 250
expense funds of their respective houses in the same amounts as 251
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provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in 252
session; however, no per diem and expenses for attending meetings 253
of the council will be paid while the Legislature is in session. 254
No per diem and expenses will be paid except for attending 255
meetings of the council without prior approval of the proper 256
committee in their respective houses. 257
(c) No change in the terms of the State and School 258
Employees' Health Insurance Plan may be made effective unless the 259
board, or its designee, has provided notice to the State and 260
School Employees Health Insurance Advisory Council and has called 261
a meeting of the council at least fifteen (15) days before the 262
effective date of the change. If the State and School Employees 263
Health Insurance Advisory Council does not meet to advise the 264
board on the proposed changes, the changes to the plan shall 265
become effective at such time as the board has informed the 266
council that the changes shall become effective. 267
(d) Medical benefits for retired employees and 268
dependents under age sixty-five (65) years and not eligible for 269
Medicare benefits. For employees who retire before July 1, 2005, 270
and for employees retiring due to work-related disability under 271
the Public Employees' Retirement System, the same health insurance 272
coverage as for all other active employees and their dependents 273
shall be available to retired employees and all dependents under 274
age sixty-five (65) years who are not eligible for Medicare 275
benefits, the level of benefits to be the same level as for all 276
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other active participants. For employees who retire on or after 277
July 1, 2005, and not retiring due to work-related disability 278
under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the same health 279
insurance coverage as for all other active employees and their 280
dependents shall be available to those retiring employees and all 281
dependents under age sixty-five (65) years who are not eligible 282
for Medicare benefits only if the retiring employees were 283
participants in the State and School Employees' Health Insurance 284
Plan for four (4) years or more before their retirement, the level 285
of benefits to be the same level as for all other active 286
participants. This section will apply to those employees who 287
retire due to one hundred percent (100%) medical disability as 288
well as those employees electing early retirement. 289
(e) Medical benefits for retired employees and 290
dependents over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible 291
for Medicare benefits. For employees who retire before July 1, 292
2005, and for employees retiring due to work-related disability 293
under the Public Employees' Retirement System, the health 294
insurance coverage available to retired employees over age 295
sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits, 296
and all dependents over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise 297
eligible for Medicare benefits, shall be the major medical 298
coverage. For employees retiring on or after July 1, 2005, and 299
not retiring due to work-related disability under the Public 300
Employees' Retirement System, the health insurance coverage 301
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described in this paragraph (e) shall be available to those 302
retiring employees only if they were participants in the State and 303
School Employees' Health Insurance Plan for four (4) years or more 304
and are over age sixty-five (65) years or otherwise eligible for 305
Medicare benefits, and to all dependents over age sixty-five (65) 306
years or otherwise eligible for Medicare benefits. Benefits shall 307
be reduced by Medicare benefits as though the Medicare benefits 308
were the base plan. 309
All covered individuals shall be assumed to have full 310
Medicare coverage, Parts A and B; and any Medicare payments under 311
both Parts A and B shall be computed to reduce benefits payable 312
under this plan. 313
(f) Lifetime maximum: The lifetime maximum amount of 314
benefits payable under the health insurance plan for each 315
participant is Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00). 316
(2) Nonduplication of benefits — reduction of benefits by 317
Title XIX benefits: When benefits would be payable under more 318
than one (1) group plan, benefits under those plans will be 319
coordinated to the extent that the total benefits under all plans 320
will not exceed the total expenses incurred. 321
Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall 322
be reduced by any similar benefits payable in accordance with 323
Title XIX of the Social Security Act or under any amendments 324
thereto, or any implementing legislation. 325
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Benefits for hospital or surgical or medical benefits shall 326
be reduced by any similar benefits payable by workers' 327
compensation. 328
No health care benefits under the state plan shall restrict 329
coverage for medically appropriate treatment prescribed by a 330
physician and agreed to by a fully informed insured, or if the 331
insured lacks legal capacity to consent by a person who has legal 332
authority to consent on his or her behalf, based on an insured's 333
diagnosis with a terminal condition. As used in this paragraph, 334
"terminal condition" means any aggressive malignancy, chronic 335
end-stage cardiovascular or cerebral vascular disease, or any 336
other disease, illness or condition which physician diagnoses as 337
terminal. 338
Not later than January 1, 2016, the state health plan shall 339
not require a higher co-payment, deductible or coinsurance amount 340
for patient-administered anti-cancer medications, including, but 341
not limited to, those orally administered or self-injected, than 342
it requires for anti-cancer medications that are injected or 343
intravenously administered by a health care provider, regardless 344
of the formulation or benefit category determination by the plan. 345
For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "anti-cancer 346
medications" has the meaning as defined in Section 83-9-24. 347
(3) (a) Schedule of life insurance benefits — group term: 348
The amount of term life insurance for each active employee of a 349
department, agency or institution of the state government shall 350
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not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or 351
twice the amount of the employee's annual wage to the next highest 352
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no 353
case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), with a like 354
amount for accidental death and dismemberment on a 355
twenty-four-hour basis. The plan will further contain a premium 356
waiver provision if a covered employee becomes totally and 357
permanently disabled before age sixty-five (65) years. Employees 358
retiring after June 30, 1999, shall be eligible to continue life 359
insurance coverage in an amount of Five Thousand Dollars 360
($5,000.00), Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or Twenty Thousand 361
Dollars ($20,000.00) into retirement. 362
(b) Effective October 1, 1999, schedule of life 363
insurance benefits — group term: The amount of term life 364
insurance for each active employee of any school district, 365
community/junior college, public library or university-based 366
program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and 367
emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus 368
driver shall not be in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars 369
($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee's annual wage 370
to the next highest One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), whichever 371
may be less, but in no case less than Thirty Thousand Dollars 372
($30,000.00), with a like amount for accidental death and 373
dismemberment on a twenty-four-hour basis. The plan will further 374
contain a premium waiver provision if a covered employee of any 375
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school district, community/junior college, public library or 376
university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for 377
deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular 378
nonstudent bus driver becomes totally and permanently disabled 379
before age sixty-five (65) years. Employees of any school 380
district, community/junior college, public library or 381
university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for 382
deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular 383
nonstudent bus driver retiring after September 30, 1999, shall be 384
eligible to continue life insurance coverage in an amount of Five 385
Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or 386
Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) into retirement. 387
(4) Any eligible employee who on March 1, 1971, was 388
participating in a group life insurance program that has 389
provisions different from those included in this article and for 390
which the State of Mississippi was paying a part of the premium 391
may, at his discretion, continue to participate in that plan. The 392
employee shall pay in full all additional costs, if any, above the 393
minimum program established by this article. Under no 394
circumstances shall any individual who begins employment with the 395
state after March 1, 1971, be eligible for the provisions of this 396
subsection. 397
(5) The board may offer medical savings accounts as defined 398
in Section 71-9-3 as a plan option. 399
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(6) Any premium differentials, differences in coverages, 400
discounts determined by risk or by any other factors shall be 401
uniformly applied to all active employees participating in the 402
insurance plan. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 403
state contribution to the plan be the same for each employee 404
throughout the state. 405
(7) On October 1, 1999, any school district, 406
community/junior college district or public library may elect to 407
remain with an existing policy or policies of group life insurance 408
with an insurance company approved by the State and School 409
Employees Health Insurance Management Board, in lieu of 410
participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. On or 411
after July 1, 2004, until October 1, 2004, any school district, 412
community/junior college district or public library may elect to 413
choose a policy or policies of group life insurance existing on 414
October 1, 1999, with an insurance company approved by the State 415
and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board in lieu of 416
participation in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. The 417
state's contribution of up to fifty percent (50%) of the active 418
employee's premium under the State and School Life Insurance Plan 419
may be applied toward the cost of coverage for full-time employees 420
participating in the approved life insurance company group plan. 421
For purposes of this subsection (7), "life insurance company group 422
plan" means a plan administered or sold by a private insurance 423
company. After October 1, 1999, the board may assess charges in 424
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addition to the existing State and School Life Insurance Plan 425
rates to such employees as a condition of enrollment in the State 426
and School Life Insurance Plan. In order for any life insurance 427
company group plan to be approved by the State and School 428
Employees Health Insurance Management Board under this subsection 429
(7), it shall meet the following criteria: 430
(a) The insurance company offering the group life 431
insurance plan shall be rated "A-" or better by A.M. Best state 432
insurance rating service and be licensed as an admitted carrier in 433
the State of Mississippi by the Mississippi Department of 434
Insurance. 435
(b) The insurance company group life insurance plan 436
shall provide the same life insurance, accidental death and 437
dismemberment insurance and waiver of premium benefits as provided 438
in the State and School Life Insurance Plan. 439
(c) The insurance company group life insurance plan 440
shall be fully insured, and no form of self-funding life insurance 441
by the company shall be approved. 442
(d) The insurance company group life insurance plan 443
shall have one (1) composite rate per One Thousand Dollars 444
($1,000.00) of coverage for active employees regardless of age and 445
one (1) composite rate per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of 446
coverage for all retirees regardless of age or type of retiree. 447
(e) The insurance company and its group life insurance 448
plan shall comply with any administrative requirements of the 449
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ST: Retiree Health Insurance Contribution Plan
for state-certified law enforcement employees
and support personnel; establish.
State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board. If 450
any insurance company providing group life insurance benefits to 451
employees under this subsection (7) fails to comply with any 452
requirements specified in this subsection or any administrative 453
requirements of the board, the state shall discontinue providing 454
funding for the cost of that insurance. 455
(8) On July 1, 2026, to reduce out-of-pocket costs and 456
improve healthcare access, the State and School Employees Health 457
Insurance Management Board shall designate a special tier 458
healthcare plan for (a) state-certified law enforcement employees, 459
their spouses and dependents, (b) designated support personnel, 460
their spouses and dependents, and (c) eligible retirees, their 461
spouses and dependents, under the State and School Employees' 462
Health Insurance Plan, in order to recognize the cumulative health 463
impacts associated with long-term public safety service. The 464
enhanced tier shall provide: lower deductibles, reduced 465
co-payments, lower out-of-pocket maximums, improved mental health 466
and preventive care coverage. 467
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 468
and after July 1, 2026. 469