Rep. Jay Hoffman

Filed: 4/19/2021

 

 


 

 


 
10200HB1461ham001LRB102 03477 BMS 25148 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1461

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1461 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by
5changing Section 367f as follows:
 
6    (215 ILCS 5/367f)  (from Ch. 73, par. 979f)
7    Sec. 367f. Firemen's continuance privilege. As used in
8this Section:
9    1. The terms "municipality", "deferred pensioner" and
10"creditable service" shall have the meaning ascribed to such
11terms by Sections 4-103, 4-105a and 4-108, respectively, of
12the Illinois Pension Code, as now or hereafter amended.
13    2. The terms "fireman" and "firemen" shall have the
14meaning ascribed to the term "firefighter" by Section 4-106 of
15the Illinois Pension Code, and include those persons under the
16coverage of Article 4 of that Code, as heretofore or hereafter

 

 

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1amended.
2    3. The "retirement or disability period" of a fireman
3means the period:
4        a. which begins on the day the fireman is removed from
5    a municipality's fire department payroll because of the
6    occurrence of any of the following events, to wit: (i) the
7    fireman retires as a deferred pensioner under Section
8    4-105a of the Illinois Pension Code, (ii) the fireman
9    retires from active service as a fireman with an attained
10    age and accumulated creditable service which together
11    qualify the fireman for immediate receipt of retirement
12    pension benefits under Section 4-109 of the Illinois
13    Pension Code, or (iii) the fireman's disability is
14    established under Section 4-112 of the Illinois Pension
15    Code; and
16        b. which ends on the first to occur of any of the
17    following events, to wit: (i) the fireman's reinstatement
18    or reentry into active service on the municipality's fire
19    department as provided for under Article 4 of the Illinois
20    Pension Code, (ii) the fireman's exercise of any refund
21    option available under Section 4-116 of the Illinois
22    Pension Code, (iii) the fireman's loss pursuant to Section
23    4-138 of the Illinois Pension Code of any benefits
24    provided for in Article 4 of that Code, or (iv) the
25    fireman's death or -- if at the time of the fireman's death
26    the fireman is survived by a spouse who, in that capacity,

 

 

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1    is entitled to receive a surviving spouse's monthly
2    pension pursuant to Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code -
3    - then the death or remarriage of that spouse.
4    No policy of group accident and health insurance under
5which firemen employed by a municipality are insured for their
6individual benefit shall be issued or delivered in this State
7to any municipality unless such group policy provides for the
8election of continued group insurance coverage for the
9retirement or disability period of each fireman who is insured
10under the provisions of the group policy on the day
11immediately preceding the day on which the retirement or
12disability period of such fireman begins, regardless of the
13terms of an open enrollment period of the policy. So long as
14any required premiums for continued group insurance coverage
15are paid in accordance with the provisions of the group
16policy, an election made pursuant to this Section shall
17provide continued group insurance coverage for a fireman
18throughout the retirement or disability period of the fireman
19and, unless the fireman otherwise elects and subject to any
20other provisions of the group policy which relate either to
21the provision or to the termination of dependents' coverage
22and which are not inconsistent with this Section, for any
23dependents of the fireman who are insured under the group
24policy on the day immediately preceding the day on which the
25retirement or disability period of the fireman begins;
26provided, however, that when such continued group insurance

 

 

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1coverage is in effect with respect to a fireman on the date of
2the fireman's death but the retirement or disability period of
3the fireman does not end with such fireman's death, then the
4deceased fireman's surviving spouse upon whose death or
5remarriage such retirement or disability period will end shall
6be entitled, without further election and upon payment of any
7required premiums in accordance with the provisions of the
8group policy, to maintain such continued group insurance
9coverage in effect until the end of such retirement or
10disability period. Continued group insurance coverage shall be
11provided in accordance with this Section at the same premium
12rate from time to time charged for equivalent coverage
13provided under the group policy with respect to covered
14firemen whose retirement or disability period has not begun,
15and no distinction or discrimination in the amount or rate of
16premiums or in any waiver of premium or other benefit
17provision shall be made between continued group insurance
18coverage elected pursuant to this Section and equivalent
19coverage provided to firemen under the group policy other than
20pursuant to the provisions of this Section; provided that no
21municipality shall be required by reason of any provision of
22this Section to pay any group insurance premium other than one
23that may be negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement.
24If a person electing continued coverage under this Section
25becomes eligible for medicare coverage, benefits under the
26group policy may continue as a supplement to the medicare

 

 

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1coverage upon payment of any required premiums to maintain the
2benefits of the group policy as supplemental coverage.
3    Within 15 days of the beginning of the retirement or
4disability period of any fireman entitled to elect continued
5group insurance coverage under any group policy affected by
6this Section, the municipality last employing such fireman
7shall give written notice of such beginning by certified mail,
8return receipt requested to the insurance company issuing such
9policy. The notice shall include the fireman's name and last
10known place of residence and the beginning date of the
11fireman's retirement or disability period.
12    Within 15 days of the date of receipt of such notice from
13the municipality, the insurance company by certified mail,
14return receipt requested, shall give written notice to the
15fireman at the fireman's last known place of residence that
16coverage under the group policy may be continued for the
17retirement or disability period of the fireman as provided in
18this Section. Such notice shall set forth: (i) a statement of
19election to be filed by the fireman if the fireman wishes to
20continue such group insurance coverage, (ii) the amount of
21monthly premium, including a statement of the portion of such
22monthly premium attributable to any dependents' coverage which
23the fireman may elect, and (iii) instructions as to the return
24of the election form to the insurance company issuing such
25policy. Election shall be made, if at all, by returning the
26statement of election to the insurance company by certified

 

 

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1mail, return receipt requested within 15 days after having
2received it.
3    If the fireman elects to continue coverage, it shall be
4the obligation of the fireman to pay the monthly premium
5directly to the municipality which shall forward it to the
6insurance company issuing the group insurance policy, or as
7otherwise directed by the insurance company; provided,
8however, that the fireman shall be entitled to designate on
9the statement of election required to be filed with the
10insurance company that the total monthly premium, or such
11portion thereof as is not contributed by a municipality, be
12deducted by a Firefighter's Pension Fund from any monthly
13pension payment otherwise payable to or on behalf of the
14fireman pursuant to Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code,
15and be remitted by such Pension Fund to the insurance company.
16The portion, if any, of the monthly premium contributed by a
17municipality for such continued group insurance coverage shall
18be paid by the municipality directly to the insurance company
19issuing the group insurance policy, or as otherwise directed
20by the insurance company. Such continued group insurance
21coverage shall relate back to the beginning of the fireman's
22retirement or disability period.
23    The amendment, renewal or extension of any group insurance
24policy affected by this Section shall be deemed to be the
25issuance of a new policy of insurance for purposes of this
26Section.

 

 

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1    In the event that a municipality makes a program of
2accident, health, hospital or medical benefits available to
3its firemen through self-insurance, or by participation in a
4pool or reciprocal insurer, or by contract in a form other than
5a policy of group insurance with one or more medical service
6plans, health care service corporations, health maintenance
7organizations, or any other professional corporations or plans
8under which health care or reimbursement for the costs thereof
9is provided, whether the cost of such benefits is borne by the
10municipality or the firemen or both, such firemen and their
11surviving spouses shall have the same right to elect continued
12coverage under such program of benefits as they would have if
13such benefits were provided by a policy of group accident and
14health insurance. In such cases, the notice of right to elect
15continued coverage shall be sent by the municipality; the
16statement of election shall be sent to the municipality; and
17references to the required premium shall refer to that portion
18of the cost of such benefits which is not borne by the
19municipality, either voluntarily or pursuant to the provisions
20of a collective bargaining agreement. In the case of a
21municipality providing such benefits through self-insurance or
22participation in a pool or reciprocal insurer, the right to
23elect continued coverage which is provided by this paragraph
24shall be implemented and made available to the firemen of the
25municipality and qualifying surviving spouses not later than
26July 1, 1985.

 

 

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1    The amendment, renewal or extension of any such contract
2in a form other than a policy of group insurance policy shall
3be deemed the formation of a new contract for the purposes of
4this Section.
5    This Section shall not limit the exercise of any
6conversion privileges available under Section 367e.
7    Pursuant to paragraphs (h) and (i) of Section 6 of Article
8VII of the Illinois Constitution, this Section specifically
9denies and limits the exercise by a home rule unit of any power
10which is inconsistent with this Section and all existing laws
11and ordinances which are inconsistent with this Section are
12hereby superseded. This Section does not preempt the
13concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers consistent
14herewith.
15    The Division of Insurance of the Department of Financial
16and Professional Regulation shall enforce the provisions of
17this Section, including provisions relating to municipality
18self-insured benefit plans.
19(Source: P.A. 94-858, eff. 6-15-06.)".