Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 74.djvu/889

 74

STAT.]

849

PUBLIC LAW 86-724-SEPT. 8, 1960

Public Law 86-724 AN ACT To provide a health benefits program for certain retired employees of the Government.

September 8, 1960 [S. 2575]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may EmptoyetsHelit^ be cited as the "Retired Federal Employees Health Benefits Act". Benefits Act. DEFINITIONS

SEC. 2. As used in this Act— (1) The terms "employee", "Government", "member of family", and "Commission" have the same meanings, when used in this Act as such terms have when used in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959. (2) "Health benefits plan" means an insurance policy or contract, medical or hospital service arrangement, membership or subscription contract, or similar agreement provided by a carrier for a stated periodic premium or subscription charge for the purpose of providing, paying for, or reimbursing expenses for hospital care, surgical or medical diagnosis, care, and treatment, drugs and medicines, remedial care, or other medical supplies and services, or any combination of these. (3) "Retired employee" means any person who would be an annuitant as that term is defined in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959 if the contribution and enrollment provisions of that Act had been in effect on the date the person became an annuitant, but does not include any person who was a noncitizen whose permanentduty station was outside a State of the United States or the District of Columbia on the day before he became an annuitant. (4) "Carrier" means a voluntary association, corporation, partnership, or other nongovernmental organization which lawfully offers a health benefits plan.

73 Stat. 708. 5 USC 3001 note.

GOVERNMENT-WIDE PLAN

SEC. 3. (a) The Commission shall, without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes or any other provision of law requiring competitive bidding, enter into a contract with a qualified carrier for one uniform Government-wide health benefits plan for retired employees. Such contract shall be for a period of at least one year and shall be automatically renewable in the absence of notice of termination by either party. The carrier shall, if the Commission so directs, cede reinsurance to such other companies which regularly issue group health insurance as may elect to participate or shall allocate its rights and obligations under the contract among such of its aflfiliates as may elect to participate in accordance with an equitable formula to be determined by the carrier and approved by the Commission. The contracting carrier, if an insurance company, shall be licensed to issue group health insurance in all the States of the United States and the District of Columbia and shall, in the most recent year for which data are available, have made at least 1 per centum of all group health insurance benefit payments in the United States. (b) The contract under this Act shall contain a detailed statement of the benefits offered and shall include such maximums, limitations, exclusions, and other definitions of benefits as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable. No person may be excluded because of race, sex, health status, or age, and the contract may not deny or limit benefits because of any preexisting condition. 48232 0 - 6 1 - 5 4

41 USC 5.

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