Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program - Personnel - CA Government

Section § 22959.90

This law establishes the Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program, aimed at improving vision care benefits for retired members of public agencies, schools, and universities. The program seeks to enhance cost-effectiveness and efficiency in offering these benefits. It allows these institutions to leverage economies of scale to provide vision plans similar to those for state employees and others. Additionally, the program intends to support the ongoing health of these retired individuals.

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

(a) Promote increased economy and efficiency in the provision of vision care benefits to retired members of public agencies, schools, and the university system.

(b) Enable the public agencies, schools, and the university system, when those entities provide retirement benefits to their annuitants through the Public Employees’ Retirement System, to use economies of scale to provide a vision care plan for their employees that is similar to those commonly provided to State of California employees, annuitants, and private industry, and as may be provided in other states.

vision care benefits retired public employees public agencies schools university system economies of scale retirement benefits Public Employees’ Retirement System health promotion efficiency in healthcare cost-effectiveness vision plans state employees annuitants good health

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 22959.91

This law states that the board or the people it appoints will manage the Vision Care Program for retired public employees.

The Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program shall be administered by the board or its designees.

Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program program administration board oversight designees benefit management retiree benefits vision care government employee benefits administrative authority

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 22959.92

This section provides definitions for terms used within a specific part of the California Government Code. An 'annuitant' is someone who has retired from certain employers and receives a retirement allowance, or a family member receiving an allowance on their behalf. The 'board' refers to the administration body of the Public Employees’ Retirement System. An 'employer' pertains to certain descriptions in other sections. A 'family member' includes spouses, domestic partners, economically dependent unmarried children under 23, and those incapable of self-support due to continuous disability from before age 23.

For purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Annuitant” means any of the following:

(1) A person who has retired from an employer described in subdivision (c) and receives a retirement allowance from the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

(2) A surviving family member receiving an allowance in place of an annuitant who has retired as provided in paragraph (1), or as the survivor of a deceased employee under Section 21541, 21546, or 21547.7.

(b) “Board” means the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

(d) “Family member” means any of the following:

(1) An annuitant’s spouse or domestic partner.

(2) Any unmarried child, including an adopted child, a stepchild, or recognized natural child under 23 years of age who is economically dependent upon the annuitant, when there exists a parent-child relationship with the annuitant.

(3) An unmarried child who at the time of attaining 23 years of age is incapable of self-support because of physical or mental disability that existed continuously from a date prior to attainment of 23 years of age, and who continues in family member status until termination of that status.

annuitant definition retirement allowance survivor benefits public employees retirement retirement system board employer description family member terms domestic partner benefits dependent children disability support unmarried children provisions economic dependence physical or mental disability allowance eligibility retirement system definitions

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 22959.93

Retirees or their eligible family members can sign up for vision care plans. However, the board responsible for these plans is not obligated to find or inform retirees about their eligibility or share their contact details with others for notification purposes.

(a) An annuitant or eligible family member may enroll in a vision care plan offered under this part.

(b) The board 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 any annuitant.

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(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 22959.96

This law allows the board to contract with vision care plans for retirees and their families without needing to go through competitive bidding. The board manages the program and funds, and retirees pay monthly premiums that can be deducted from their pensions. If the pension doesn't cover the full premium, retirees pay the rest directly. The funds collected are placed in a special state fund for vision care, which the board controls. Enrollment in a vision care plan is optional, and the plan doesn't have to be from the same carrier as the health plan. Contracts with vision care providers are made only if funds are available, and the premiums are used solely for providing vision benefits and covering related costs. If continuing the program becomes economically unfeasible, the board can terminate it, giving enrollees notice at least three months in advance. Premium rates are set by the board and are separate from those for active employees.

(a) The board may, without compliance with any provisions of law relating to competitive bidding, contract with one or more vision care plans for annuitants and eligible family members, provided each vision care plan carrier has operated successfully in the area of vision care benefits for a reasonable period, as determined by the board.

(b) The board, 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 may be deducted from his or her monthly allowance. If the annuitant’s monthly allowance is insufficient to cover the full premium, the annuitant shall be responsible for paying the required balance directly to the vision care plan carrier.

(c) 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 Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. Any income earned on the moneys in the Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program Fund shall be credited to the fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated for the purposes specified in subdivision (d).

(d) The board shall have the exclusive control of the administration and investment of the Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program Fund.

(e) An annuitant may enroll in a vision care plan provided by a carrier that also provides a health benefit plan if the annuitant is also enrolled in the health benefit plan provided by that carrier. However, nothing in this section may 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 in a vision plan or plans contracted for by the board.

(f) No contract for a vision care plan may be entered into unless the board determines it is reasonable to do so, and any contract shall take effect only if funds have been made available to cover the startup costs of the program. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any premium moneys paid into this program by annuitants for the purposes of the member 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, the cost of administration of the vision care plan or plans under this vision care program, and any reasonable cost or expense incurred by the board in connection with the startup of the program, those costs being determined by the board.

(g) If the board determines that it is not economically feasible to continue this program at any time after its commencement, the board 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 board. 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.

(h) Premium rates for this program shall be determined by the board in conjunction with the contracted plan or plans and shall be considered separate from any active employee premium rates.

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(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Section § 22959.97

This law section requires that a program called the Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program must be put into action by the board by January 1, 2011.

On or before January 1, 2011, the board shall implement the Retired Public Employees Vision Care Program.

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(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 265, Sec. 1. (AB 65) Effective January 1, 2010.)