2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §11-263  Authorization to procure insurance for county employees and dependents; expenditure of public funds; employee payments; retired county employees; group health and accident coverage; public funds authorization

A. The board of supervisors may adopt a system of insurance for the benefit of county elected officials and employees. The board may procure health, life, accident and disability insurance for the benefit of such elected officials and employees from any insurer licensed to do business in the state of Arizona and pay the whole or any part of the premiums upon such insurance from public funds. Public funds shall not be spent for life insurance in excess of fifty thousand dollars or the amount of the salary annually paid to the elected official or employee, whichever is more. The board may procure health and accident coverage for the dependents of such elected officials and employees and pay all or any part of the premium upon the insurance from public funds. The board may deduct from the compensation of such employees and elected officials, and apply to the payment of such premiums, that part thereof determined by the board to be payable by the employees and elected officials. Such deductions shall be made only from those employees and elected officials who have voluntarily agreed in writing to participate in the program.

B. The board of supervisors may enter into agreements to establish group health and accident coverage for former county employees who are retired and receiving income from a retirement program of this state and their dependents. The agreements may provide that all or any portion of the former employees or their dependents may be grouped with officers and employees of the county or their dependents as necessary to obtain health and accident coverage at favorable rates.

C. The state retirement system board is authorized to enter into agreements with retired county employees who elect to obtain the coverage provided in subsection B. Such agreements may include provision for the deduction from the retirement benefits of participants of a retirement program of this state who elect to obtain such coverage of amounts sufficient to pay for the premium and administrative expense of providing such coverage.

D. Public funds shall not be expended to pay all or any part of the premium of insurance pursuant to subsection B, except that in a county with a population of more than three hundred thousand persons, public funds may be expended to pay all or any part of the premium of insurance pursuant to subsection B.