AI-assisted research summary: This section lets certain retired county judges, county officials, and employees of participating employers join a supplemental medical insurance program if approved by the state insurance committee and if they have Medicare and a monthly retirement allowance.
Subject to the approval of the state insurance committee as created in § 8-27-201, retired county judges, county officials, and employees of employers participating in the Tennessee consolidated retirement system pursuant to chapter 35, part 2 of this title may participate in the supplemental medical insurance program established in § 8-27-209; provided, that retired employees are covered by Medicare benefits and are drawing a monthly retirement allowance from the Tennessee consolidated retirement system. The state shall not assume any cost nor provide any funding toward the payment of premiums. Except as provided in subsection (c), retired employees electing to participate in the program shall pay the total cost of such coverage. The chief governing body of any employer of an employee described in subsection (a) may pass a resolution to make contributions toward the expense of such coverages; provided, that the amount, terms, and conditions of contributions shall be, at all times, the same as that established by the state insurance committee pursuant to § 8-27-209(d). Years of service, as used in § 8-27-209(d) for determining the employer's contribution level, means only those years of service rendered by the retired employee to the employer and upon which the retired employee's monthly retirement allowance is based. The resolution to make contributions on behalf of retired employees shall remain in effect until revoked by the chief governing body. The budget of any such employer electing to make contributions shall include an amount sufficient to pay contributions on behalf of its retired employees covered by the supplemental insurance program. The contributions shall be paid to the insurer by the employer in a manner directed by the state insurance committee. The supplemental medical insurance authorized under this section shall not be available to any person otherwise qualified under subsection (a) whose initial employment with a qualifying employer commenced on or after July 1, 2015.