A. The State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board shall establish a Disability Insurance Program for state employees. The program shall consist of a long-term disability plan and a short-term disability plan. Participation in the program shall be limited to state employees who have been state employees for a period of not less than one (1) month and who are eligible for enrollment in the Health Insurance Plan administered by the Board. No state employee shall be eligible to receive any benefits from the long-term disability program unless the state employee has used all of the sick leave of the employee. The Board shall promulgate such rules as are necessary for adoption and administration of the Disability Insurance Program, including but not limited to benefit eligibility requirements, methods for computing benefit amounts, benefits amounts, and verification of medical and health status of employees applying for or receiving benefits.

B. The Disability Insurance Program shall be funded from appropriations made by the Legislature. Employees shall not be required to make contributions to participate in the program.

C. Employee disability insurance coverage shall begin on March 1, 1986.

D. The Board shall establish a grievance procedure by which a three-member grievance panel established in the same manner as specified in paragraph 6 of Section 1306 of this title shall act as an appeals body for complaints regarding the allowance and payment of claims, eligibility, and other matters. The grievance procedure provided by this subsection shall be the exclusive remedy available to persons having complaints against the insurer. Such grievance procedure shall be subject to the Oklahoma Administrative Procedures Act, including provisions for the review of agency decisions by the district court. The grievance panel shall schedule a hearing regarding the allowance and payment of claims, eligibility and other matters within sixty (60) days from the date the grievance panel receives a written request for a hearing. Upon written request to the grievance panel received not less than ten (10) days before the hearing date, the grievance panel shall cause a full stenographic record of the proceedings to be made by a licensed or certified court reporter at the insured employee's expense.

E. The Board may establish a claim processing division for claims administration or may contract for claims administration services with a private insurance carrier or a company that specializes in claims administration of any insurance that the Board may be directed to offer.

Added by Laws 1985, c. 203, § 109, operative July 1, 1985. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 150, § 20, emerg. eff. April 29, 1986; Laws 1989, c. 322, § 10, operative July 1, 1989; Laws 1991, c. 86, § 1, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1992, c. 367, § 9, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 2000, c. 353, § 49, eff. Nov. 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 197, § 8, emerg. eff. May 7, 2001.