(1) An educational entity may extend the benefits of the health insurance plan, the dental insurance plan, and the life insurance plan to education employees employed by the entity. The benefits of the plans for an education employee shall be the same and shall include the same plan options as would be made available to a state employee participating in the plan that resided at the same location. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1308.2 of this title, a period shall exist for enrolling education entities from April 1, 1989 through October 1, 1991, whereby education employees of a participating education entity may be enrolled, pursuant to this act, during the entities' initial enrollment period, regardless of preexisting conditions. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall adopt rules and regulations for enrollment by which education entities may apply to participate in the insurance plans. Once an education entity becomes a participant in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, the education entity may withdraw from participation, in a manner prescribed by the Office. If a school district is participating in the health and dental insurance plans pursuant to the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, Sections 1301 through 1329.1 of this title, the employees of the school district who are eligible to participate in the health and dental plans, at such time as the school district may withdraw from such participation, may require the board of education of the school district to call an election to allow the employees to vote as to whether the school district shall continue participation in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act. Upon the filing with the board of education of a petition calling for such an election which is signed by no less than thirty percent (30%) of the eligible employees of the school district, the board of education shall call an election for the purpose of determining whether the school district shall continue participation in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act. The election shall be held within thirty (30) days of the filing of the petition. If a majority of those eligible employees voting at the election vote to continue participation in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, the board of education shall be prohibited from withdrawing the school district from such participation. If a majority of those eligible employees voting at the election vote against continued participation in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, the board of education of the school district shall apply to discontinue such participation within thirty (30) days of the election and within the times the school district is authorized to withdraw from participation in accordance with rules established for withdrawal by the Office.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, when an education entity participates in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, all employees shall be advised of Health Maintenance Organizations prepaid plans available as an alternative to the state self-insured health insurance plan. Eligible part-time education employees, at the option of the employee, may enroll in the plans either at the time the education entity begins participation in the plans or, if later, upon a showing of insurability to the satisfaction of the Office.

(3) Any employee of an education entity participating in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act who is employed after the education entity began said participation may be enrolled in the health and dental insurance plans or HMO plans approved by the Office on the first day of the second month of employment.

(4) Upon initial enrollment of an institution of higher education to participate in the health and dental insurance plans offered through the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act, all individuals presently insured by said institution's present group health insurance plan shall become enrolled in said state plans for the remaining period of said institution's contractual liabilities.

(5) Education employees who shall be absent from the teaching service because of election or appointment as a local, state, or national education association officer shall be allowed to retain coverage pursuant to the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act upon the payment of the full cost of the coverage at the rate and under such terms and conditions established by the Office.

(6) Except as otherwise provided by law, an educational entity may cease to participate in the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act but provide health insurance coverage through another insurance carrier. The subsequent carrier shall provide coverage to the employees of the educational entity who terminated employment with a retirement benefit, with a vested benefit, or who have ten (10) or more years of service with a participating educational entity but did not have a vested benefit through the retirement system of the educational entity, if the election to retain health insurance coverage was made within thirty (30) days of termination of employment. Coverage shall also be provided to the eligible dependents of the employees if an election to retain coverage is made within thirty (30) days of termination of employment.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 165, § 8, operative July 1, 1988. Amended by Laws 1989, c. 322, § 4, emerg. eff. May 26, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 244, § 6, eff. July 1, 1990; Laws 1990, c. 337, § 24; Laws 1991, c. 219, § 8, emerg. eff. May 22, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 359, § 4, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 2004, c. 41, § 1, emerg. eff. April 1, 2004; Laws 2012, c. 304, § 946.

NOTE: Laws 1990, c. 7, § 2 repealed by Laws 1990, c. 337, § 26.