Section 10A: Additional insurance
Section 10A. Each employee insured for the minimum amounts of group life and group accidental death and dismemberment insurance provided in section six may, subject to such conditions as the commission shall approve, be insured for amounts of group life insurance and group accidental death and dismemberment insurance in addition to the minimum amounts provided for in said section six. An employee may be insured for additional insurance in thousand dollar incremental amounts up to an amount equal to one thousand dollars less than the employee's gross annual salary rounded down to the nearest whole thousand dollars or for an amount equal to one thousand dollars less than two times, three times, four times, five times, six times, seven times, or eight times the employee's gross annual salary rounded down to the nearest whole thousand dollars. The group insurance commission is hereby authorized to implement a system whereby such employee contributions for such insurance are made on a pre-tax basis. Notwithstanding the maximum dollar limits of the aforesaid amounts of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance and subject to such provisions of the group policy as may be provided by the commission, if a death occurs to an employee while in the performance of his duties and if such death occurs as the natural and proximate result of a robbery or attempted robbery a further additional amount of accidental death insurance shall be payable in an amount equal to three times the sum of additional group life and group accidental death and dismemberment insurance applicable to said employee insured under this section. Such additional insurance shall be issued by the carrier or carriers as determined by the commission without regard to a minimum number of eligible employees or to the provisions of chapter one hundred and seventy-five.
Each employee entitled to additional insurance under this section shall file an application therefor with the commission on an appropriate form prescribed by the commission, except that an employee having such additional insurance who becomes entitled to further additional insurance hereunder by reason of an increase in annual salary shall automatically be insured for the amount of such further additional insurance, to become effective on the first day of the second month following the month in which the increase was authorized, or, on the first day of the earliest subsequent month in which the increase was authorized if as determined by the commission, the aforesaid effective date of authorization prevents timely withholdings from payrolls of the increased premium, unless the employee notifies the commission in writing on a form prescribed by it that he is not to be so insured; provided, however, that such increase in salary has been authorized for a period of time in excess of one year. No reduction in the amount of insurance shall be required on account of a reduction in compensation. For purposes of this additional insurance, yearly gross salary or compensation shall not include any overtime pay and in the case of hourly workers shall be computed on the basis of scheduled required work hours.
With respect to any additional insurance which is in effect for an employee there shall be withheld from each payment of salary or wages of such employee the premium for such insurance and the commonwealth shall make no contribution to said premium. If an employee is not entitled to receive salary, wages or other compensation for a calendar month, he shall make payment directly to the commission and there shall be no contribution by the commonwealth for such payment.
An employee insured under this section may by written notice on a form prescribed by the commission cancel such insurance, and such insurance shall require no further premium payment the first day of the month following the expiration of fifteen days from the receipt of notice of cancellation. Insurance coverage will therefore terminate at the end of the month for which premium has been paid. If an employee withdraws as provided in section five, such withdrawal shall automatically effect a cessation of the additional insurance under this section as of the date of cessation of his minimum insurance.
Upon retirement of an employee eligible for pension allowance under any general or special law, his additional insurance under this section shall be continued; provided, however, that payment of the appropriate premium as established by the commission has been paid by such retiree. A retiree who, for reasons other than for non-payment of premiums, terminates his insurance under this section shall be entitled to a conversion privilege as provided in section ten. A person who has retired and whose insurance under this section has been terminated may be reinstated for the amount of insurance in force at the time of retirement; provided, however, that said retiree submits proof of his physical condition satisfactory to the commission, or in lieu of submission of proof of physical condition, forfeits the amount of insurance which has been converted to a non-group policy as hereinbefore authorized.
The commission is hereby authorized to negotiate for and purchase the additional insurance outlined in this section on the basis of group renewable term or group permanent insurance, whichever it deems to be in the best interests of the commonwealth and its employees.