A. "County or municipal law enforcement officer" means a person who by virtue of employment by a county or municipal government in the State is vested by law with the power to make arrests for crimes or serve criminal process, whether that power extends to all crimes or is limited to specific crimes. "County or municipal law enforcement officer" does not include a state or federal law enforcement officer, an attorney prosecuting for a county or municipal government or a reserve officer.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

B. "Dependent" means a spouse, an unmarried child under 19 years of age, a child who is a student under 23 years of age and financially dependent upon the enrollee, a child of any age who is disabled and dependent upon the enrollee or a domestic partner.   [PL 2021, c. 567, §6 (AMD).]

C. "Division" means the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Office of Employee Health and Wellness.   [PL 2021, c. 312, §6 (AMD).]

D. "Enrollee" means a county or municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter who has enrolled in the program.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

E. "Fund" means the Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers Health Insurance Program Fund established in subsection 7.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

F. "Group health plan" or "group health insurance plan" means any employer-sponsored group health insurance plan, whether self-insured or fully insured, that provides coverage to eligible employees, retirees and their dependents.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

G. "Majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement" means the multiple-employer welfare arrangement, as defined in Title 24‑A, section 6601, subsection 5, in which the majority of state municipal government employees are enrolled as of the effective date of this section.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

H. "Municipal firefighter" means a person employed by a municipal fire department with the primary responsibility of aiding in the extinguishment of fires and includes a member of emergency medical services line personnel but does not include a member of a volunteer firefighter association. For the purposes of this paragraph, "emergency medical services line personnel" means persons who are career employees employed full-time by a public sector agency or employer and whose primary responsibility is to provide emergency medical services.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

I. "Program" means the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program established in this section.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

A. The person must:  

B. The person must be a dependent of a person meeting the criteria of paragraph A.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

A. Enter into administrative arrangements with fully insured health insurance product vendors to implement the purposes of this section;   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

B. Remit authorized premium subsidy payments for enrolled eligible persons and enrolled dependents to any fully insured group health insurance plans on a periodic basis, as established by agreements with the providers of those plans. The dollar value of the subsidy payment may vary with the premium cost of the benefit plan in which the enrollee participates; and   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

C. Adopt rules to implement the purposes of this section, including the determination of the program subsidy for enrollees pursuant to subsection 6. Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

A. When the effective date of hire of the eligible person is on or before November 1, 2006, the eligible person must enroll in the program before January 1, 2007, subject to the enrollment and eligibility requirements of the applicable group health plan;   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

B. When the effective date of hire of the eligible person is after November 1, 2006 and before October 1, 2019, the eligible person must enroll in the program no later than 60 days following the effective date of hire, subject to the enrollment and eligibility requirements of the applicable group health plan;   [PL 2019, c. 446, §2 (AMD).]

C. Notwithstanding paragraphs A and B, when the eligible person, the eligible person's spouse or the eligible person's dependent experiences an involuntary loss of other health insurance coverage carried as of January 1, 2007 or 60 days following the date of the eligible person's hire, whichever is later, the eligible person may elect to enroll in the program no later than 60 days after the effective date of the loss of that coverage, subject to the enrollment and eligibility requirements of the applicable group health plan. Involuntary loss of coverage does not include a loss of coverage arising as a result of nonpayment of premiums; or   [PL 2019, c. 446, §2 (AMD).]

D. When the effective date of hire of the eligible person is on or after October 1, 2019, the eligible person must enroll in the program no later than 5 years following the effective date of hire. If the eligible person enrolls in the program no later than 60 days following the effective date of hire, the eligible person contributes to the fund at the rate specified in subsection 8, paragraph A. If the eligible person enrolls in the program more than 60 days following the effective date of hire, the eligible person shall contribute to the fund 2% of the eligible person's gross wages since the eligible person's effective date of hire to that person's date of enrollment in the program and shall contribute to the fund at the rate specified in subsection 8, paragraph A after the eligible person's date of enrollment.   [PL 2021, c. 19, §2 (AMD).]

A. An enrollee participating in the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement is responsible for the premium payment associated with the cost of the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement benefit option in which the enrollee is participating, to the extent such premium obligations exist following the application of any premium subsidy authorized by law. An enrollee who fails to remit the premium payments as established and required by the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement must be disenrolled from the program. Beginning July 1, 2007, the State shall provide a premium subsidy for enrollees in the form of a direct payment to the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement for each enrollee. Prior to July 1, 2021, the level of the subsidy must equal 45% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee and varies among enrollees depending upon the terms of the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement coverage plan in which each enrollee is participating. Beginning July 1, 2021, the level of the subsidy must equal 55% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee and varies among enrollees depending upon the terms of the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement coverage plan in which each enrollee is participating. Enrollees are responsible for the balance of the applicable individual premium, as well as the total cost of the premium for any applicable dependent coverage, and shall make payments directly to the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §2 (AMD).]

B. Enrollees retiring from counties or municipalities that do not participate in the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement but who are eligible and elect to participate in that county's or municipality's fully insured health benefits plan are responsible for the premium payment associated with the cost of that plan, to the extent such premium obligations exist following the application of any premium subsidy authorized by law. An enrollee who fails to remit the premium payments as established and required by the fully insured plan must be disenrolled from the program. Beginning July 1, 2007, the State shall provide a premium subsidy for enrollees participating in fully insured health benefits plans pursuant to this subsection. Prior to July 1, 2021, this subsidy must be made in the form of a direct payment to the enrollee's health benefits plan and must equal 45% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. Beginning July 1, 2021, this subsidy must be made in the form of a direct payment to the enrollee's health benefits plan and must equal 55% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. A retiree electing to enroll a spouse or a dependent in the program is responsible for payment of 100% of such coverage in addition to that portion of the retiree's individual premium cost not contributed by the State.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §2 (AMD).]

C. Enrollees retiring from counties or municipalities that do not participate in the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement and do not provide health insurance coverage for retirees may enroll in the group health plan available to state employees and other eligible persons under section 285 and are responsible for the premium payment associated with the cost of that plan, to the extent such premium obligations exist following the application of any premium subsidy authorized by law. An enrollee who fails to remit the premium payments as established and required by the group health plan available to state employees and other eligible persons must be disenrolled from the program. The State shall provide a premium subsidy for enrollees participating in the group health plan available to state employees and other eligible persons pursuant to this paragraph. Prior to July 1, 2021, this subsidy must be made in the form of a direct payment to the group health plan available to state employees and other eligible persons and must equal 45% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. Beginning July 1, 2021, this subsidy must be made in the form of a direct payment to the group health plan available to state employees and other eligible persons and must equal 55% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. A retiree electing to enroll a spouse or a dependent in the program is responsible for payment of 100% of such coverage in addition to that portion of the retiree's individual premium cost not contributed by the State.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §2 (NEW).]

D. An enrollee may participate in the group health insurance plan in which the enrollee's spouse participates if that plan is offered in this State or in another group health insurance plan that is offered in this State. An enrollee is responsible for the premium payment associated with the cost of the group health insurance plan in which the enrollee is participating. An enrollee who fails to remit the premium payments as established and required by the group health insurance plan in which the enrollee is participating must be disenrolled from the program. The State shall provide a premium subsidy for each enrollee in the form of a direct payment to the enrollee. Prior to July 1, 2021, the level of the premium subsidy must equal 45% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. Beginning July 1, 2021, the level of the premium subsidy must equal 55% of the individual premium cost for the enrollee or a dollar amount equivalent to the highest premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, whichever is less. Enrollees are responsible for the balance of the applicable individual premium, as well as the total cost of the premium for any applicable dependent coverage, and shall make payments directly to the group health insurance plan in which the enrollee is participating.   [PL 2021, c. 19, §3 (AMD).]

A. Beginning January 1, 2007, each enrollee who participates as an active employee in a retirement plan shall contribute 1.5% of that enrollee's gross wages to the fund.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

B. The employer of an enrollee required to contribute to the fund shall remit on a monthly basis that enrollee's contribution to the fund.   [PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).]

C. An enrollee who is not receiving wages from a county or municipal employer on account of an absence from work due to an injury compensable under the Maine Workers' Compensation Act of 1992, a disability for which the enrollee is receiving a disability retirement benefit from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System or a leave of absence must contribute to the fund for the period of time of the absence from work based on the enrollee's gross wages immediately before the absence from work in order for the enrollee to be eligible for coverage under the program.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §3 (NEW).]

D. An enrollee who retires and is subsequently hired as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter must contribute to the fund while employed as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter in order for the enrollee to be eligible for coverage under the program.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §3 (NEW).]

E. An enrollee who is not receiving wages from a county or municipal employer because the enrollee is a member of the United States Armed Forces or state military forces on active duty and deployed is not required to contribute to the fund while deployed.   [PL 2019, c. 446, §3 (NEW).]