Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act: health benefit plans.

The Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act, which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, governs the funding and provision of postemployment health care benefits for eligible retired public employees and their beneficiaries. Existing law requires the board to approve an employee association health benefit plan previously approved by the board in the 1987–88 contract year or prior, if the plan continues to meet the minimum standards prescribed by the board. Existing law authorizes the California Correctional Peace Officer Association Health Benefits Trust to offer different health benefit plan designs with varying premiums in different areas of the state. This bill would also authorize the Peace Officers Research Association of California Insurance and Benefits Trust to offer different health benefit plan designs with varying premiums in different areas of the state. The bill would prohibit the trustees of these health benefit plan trusts from using geographic regions that are different from the geographic regions established by the board for the regional premiums authorized for contracting agencies, except as specified.