(a) In the event (1) an employer, as defined in § 31-58, terminates an employee for any reason other than layoff or relocation or closing of a covered establishment, as defined in § 31-51n, or (2) an employee voluntarily terminates employment with an employer, such employer may elect not to pay the premium for such employee and any such employee’s dependents under a group health insurance policy after the date of such employee’s termination. In the event such employer makes such election, any insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or fraternal benefit society that issues such group health insurance policy shall credit such employer the amount of any premium paid by such employer with respect to such policy for such employee and such employee’s dependents attributable to the period after the date of such employee’s termination, provided the employer notifies the insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or fraternal benefit society that issued such policy and the terminated employee not later than seventy-two hours after the termination. Upon the issuance or renewal of such policy, such insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or fraternal benefit society shall provide such employer with relevant information related to such employer’s election, including a notice that it is the employer’s responsibility to remit to the terminated employee such employee’s portion of the credited premium. Any such credit shall be applied to the employer’s next month‘s premium. In the event of nonrenewal of such policy, the insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or fraternal benefit society shall refund such credit to the employer.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, (1) any contractual agreement entered into through collective bargaining that requires the employer to pay the premium for an employee under a group health insurance policy after the date of such employee’s termination shall supersede the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, and (2) no credit shall be available to an employer for any employee’s and employee’s dependents’ coverage for the seventy-two hours immediately following the termination of such employee.

(c) Any right of an employee and his dependents to continuation of coverage following the relocation or closing of a covered establishment, as set forth in § 31-51o, shall not be affected by the provisions of this section.