The following words and phrases as used in Section 1361 et seq. of this title, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

1. "Authority" means the Oklahoma Health Care Authority;

2. "Basic plan" means the plan that provides the least amount of benefits each participant is required to purchase pursuant to the provisions of the plan. The basic plan shall include only health, dental, disability and life benefits;

3. "Benefit" means any of the benefits which may be purchased or is required to be purchased under the plan;

4. "Benefit plan" means the specific terms and conditions regarding a benefit which may be purchased under the plan, including the terms and conditions of any separate plan document, group insurance policy or administrative services contract entered into by the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Board;

5. "Benefit price" means the number of flexible benefit dollars needed to purchase a benefit under the plan;

6. "Board" means the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Board;

7. "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, from time to time;

8. "Compensation" means the remuneration directly paid to a participating employee by a participating employer exclusive of overtime pay, and longevity pay, calculated prior to and without regard to adjustments arising out of an employee's participation in the plan authorized pursuant to this act, or amounts deferred under the tax sheltered income deferment plans as authorized by Section 1701 et seq. of this title;

9. "Default benefit" means any benefit a participant who fails to make a proper election under the plan shall be deemed to have purchased;

10. "Dependent" means a participant's spouse or any of his or her dependents as defined in Code Section 152 and regulations promulgated thereunder;

11. "Flexible benefit allowance" means the annual amounts credited by the participating employer for each participant for the purchase of benefits under the plan;

12. "Flexible benefit dollars" means the sum of the flexible benefit allowance and pay conversion dollars allocated by a participant pursuant to provisions of the plan;

13. "Participant" means any officer or employee of a participating employer who is a member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System or the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, any officer or employee of a participating employer, whose employment is not seasonal or temporary and whose employment requires at least one thousand (1,000) hours of work per year and whose salary and wage is equal to or greater than the hourly wage for state employees, and any employee of a participating employer who is a member of the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma;

14. "Participating employer" means any state agency, board, commission, department, institution, authority, officer, bureau, council, office or other entity created by the Oklahoma Constitution or statute that is a participating employer of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System or the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, but shall not include any county, county hospital, city or town, conservation district, any private or public trust in which a county, city or town participates and is the primary beneficiary, any school district or technology center school district, or political subdivision of the state, but shall include the State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. Provided the term "participating employer" shall also mean the State Regents for Higher Education or any institution under the authority of the State Regents for Higher Education upon agreement between the State Regents for Higher Education or the appropriate governing board of an institution under the authority of the State Regents for Higher Education and the Board;

15. "Pay conversion dollars" means amounts by which a participant elects to reduce the participant’s compensation to purchase benefits under the plan;

16. "Plan" means the flexible benefits plan authorized pursuant to the State Employees Flexible Benefits Act as modified by the provisions of this act;

17. "Plan year" means for the plan year beginning July 1, 2001, the six-month period commencing on July 1 and ending on the following December 31. The next plan year shall begin January 1, 2002. It shall mean the twelve-month period commencing on January 1 and ending on the following December 31;

18. "Salary adjustment agreement" means a written agreement between a participant and participating employer whereby the employer agrees to adjust the salary of the participant by a stated amount or an amount equal to the cost of benefits selected under the plan and the participating employer agrees to contribute such amount to cover certain costs of the benefits selected by the participant to the Board; and

19. "Termination" means the termination of a participant's employment as an employee of a participating employer, whether by reasons of discharge, voluntary termination, retirement, death or reduction-in-force.

Added by Laws 1992, c. 400, § 3, eff. July 1, 1992. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 359, § 9, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 2, § 32, emerg. eff. March 2, 1994; Laws 1999, c. 255, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 33, § 178, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2012, c. 303, § 16, eff. Nov. 1, 2012.

NOTE: Laws 1993, c. 332, § 22 repealed by Laws 1994, c. 2, § 34, emerg. eff. March 2, 1994.