Sec. 2.2. (a) As used in this section, “dependent” means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted child of a public safety employee who:

(1) is less than eighteen (18) years of age;

(2) is at least eighteen (18) years of age and has a physical or mental disability (using disability guidelines established by the Social Security Administration); or

(3) is at least eighteen (18) and less than twenty-three (23) years of age and is enrolled in and regularly attending a secondary school or is a full-time student at an accredited college or university.

     (b) As used in this section, “public safety employee” means a full-time firefighter, police officer, county police officer, or sheriff.

     (c) This section applies only to local unit public employers and their public safety employees.

     (d) A local unit public employer may provide programs of group health insurance for its active and retired public safety employees through one (1) of the following methods:

(1) By purchasing policies of group insurance.

(2) By establishing self-insurance programs.

(3) If the local unit public employer is a school corporation, by electing to provide the coverage through a state employee health plan under section 6.7 of this chapter.

A local unit public employer may provide programs of group insurance other than group health insurance for the local unit public employer’s active and retired public safety employees by purchasing policies of group insurance and by establishing self-insurance programs. However, the establishment of a self-insurance program is subject to the approval of the unit’s fiscal body.

     (e) A local unit public employer may pay a part of the cost of group insurance for its active and retired public safety employees. However, a local unit public employer that provides group life insurance for its active and retired public safety employees shall pay a part of the cost of that insurance.

     (f) A local unit public employer may not cancel an insurance contract under this section during the policy term of the contract.

     (g) After June 30, 1989, a local unit public employer that provides a group health insurance program for its active public safety employees shall also provide a group health insurance program to the following persons:

(1) Retired public safety employees.

(2) Public safety employees who are receiving disability benefits under IC 36-8-6, IC 36-8-7, IC 36-8-7.5, IC 36-8-8, or IC 36-8-10.

(3) Surviving spouses and dependents of public safety employees who die while in active service or after retirement.

     (h) A public safety employee who is retired or has a disability and is eligible for group health insurance coverage under subsection (g)(1) or (g)(2):

(1) may elect to have the person’s spouse, dependents, or spouse and dependents covered under the group health insurance program at the time the person retires or becomes disabled;

(2) must file a written request for insurance coverage with the employer within ninety (90) days after the person retires or begins receiving disability benefits; and

(3) must pay an amount equal to the total of the employer’s and the employee’s premiums for the group health insurance for an active public safety employee (however, the employer may elect to pay any part of the person’s premiums).

     (i) Except as provided in IC 5-10-18, IC 36-8-6-9.7(f), IC 36-8-6-10.1(h), IC 36-8-7-12.3(g), IC 36-8-7-12.4(j), IC 36-8-7.5-13.7(h), IC 36-8-7.5-14.1(i), IC 36-8-8-13.9(d), IC 36-8-8-14.1(h), and IC 36-8-10-16.5 for a surviving spouse or dependent of a public safety employee who dies in the line of duty, a surviving spouse or dependent who is eligible for group health insurance under subsection (g)(3):

(1) may elect to continue coverage under the group health insurance program after the death of the public safety employee;

(2) must file a written request for insurance coverage with the employer within ninety (90) days after the death of the public safety employee; and

(3) must pay the amount that the public safety employee would have been required to pay under this section for coverage selected by the surviving spouse or dependent (however, the employer may elect to pay any part of the surviving spouse’s or dependents’ premiums).

     (j) The eligibility for group health insurance under this section for a public safety employee who is retired or has a disability ends on the earlier of the following:

(1) When the public safety employee becomes eligible for Medicare coverage as prescribed by 42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq.

(2) When the employer terminates the health insurance program for active public safety employees.

     (k) A surviving spouse’s eligibility for group health insurance under this section ends on the earliest of the following:

(1) When the surviving spouse becomes eligible for Medicare coverage as prescribed by 42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq.

(2) When the unit providing the insurance terminates the health insurance program for active public safety employees.

(3) The date of the surviving spouse’s remarriage.

(4) When health insurance becomes available to the surviving spouse through employment.

     (l) A dependent’s eligibility for group health insurance under this section ends on the earliest of the following:

(1) When the dependent becomes eligible for Medicare coverage as prescribed by 42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq.

(2) When the unit providing the insurance terminates the health insurance program for active public safety employees.

(3) When the dependent no longer meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a).

(4) When health insurance becomes available to the dependent through employment.

     (m) A public safety employee who is on leave without pay is entitled to participate for ninety (90) days in any group health insurance program maintained by the local unit public employer for active public safety employees if the public safety employee pays an amount equal to the total of the employer’s and the employee’s premiums for the insurance. However, the employer may pay all or part of the employer’s premium for the insurance.

     (n) A local unit public employer may provide group health insurance for retired public safety employees or their spouses not covered by subsections (g) through (l) and may provide group health insurance that contains provisions more favorable to retired public safety employees and their spouses than required by subsections (g) through (l). A local unit public employer may provide group health insurance to a public safety employee who is on leave without pay for a longer period than required by subsection (m), and may continue to pay all or a part of the employer’s premium for the insurance while the employee is on leave without pay.

As added by P.L.58-1989, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.41-1990, SEC.2; P.L.286-2001, SEC.1; P.L.86-2003, SEC.1; P.L.2-2005, SEC.15; P.L.99-2007, SEC.13; P.L.3-2008, SEC.24; P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.65; P.L.91-2014, SEC.9; P.L.111-2019, SEC.1.