Governor Rick
Perry recently signed Senate Bill 872 at the 2009 CLEAT
Convention in Laredo. This bill grants certain rights
regarding health insurance coverage for the survivors of
peace officers killed in the line of duty, including the
right to re-apply for insurance coverage. The deadline to
re-apply is March 1, 2010.
If you are the surviving spouse or child of a peace
officer killed in the line of duty you have the right to
purchase health insurance from the officer’s employer at
the same rate paid for premiums by active employees of the
employer. If you are currently enrolled in the employer’s
health insurance plan and are paying retiree or COBRA
rates for your insurance premium or are paying more than a
current employee would pay for their premiums, you can
request that your rate be changed. Also, the employer may
not charge you a rate that includes coverage for the
deceased officer. For example, many employers have a rate
for the employee alone, a rate for the employee and
children, and then a rate for the employee, spouse, and
children. In this example, the spouse would assume the
role of the employee and would only be required to pay the
rate for the employee and children.
Under S.B. 872,
the spouse may now continue to purchase health insurance
even if they re-marry or are eligible for health insurance
through another employer. Children may continue to be
included under the health insurance coverage as long as
they are a dependent even if they marry or become eligible
for coverage through another employer.
Also, if a
survivor has voluntarily discontinued health insurance
coverage, failed to apply for continued coverage after the
officer’s death, or were required to drop coverage
because they were no longer eligible, that survivor now
has the right to re-apply for coverage until March
1, 2010. NOTE: This is a limited
opportunity to re-apply for coverage. Survivors must act
NOW to preserve their right for this
benefit.
The Combined
Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) will assist
any survivor who has questions regarding their rights to
continued health insurance coverage under the new law.
Please call or e-mail Chris Jones if you need assistance.
Chris Jones
Cell Phone:
832-265-0650
