Government Employees (Health Insurance) Amendment Act 2008
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (HEALTH INSURANCE)
AMENDMENT ACT 2008
BERMUDA
2008 : 42
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (HEALTH INSURANCE)
AMENDMENT ACT 2008
Date of Assent: 23 December 2008
Operative Date: 23 December 2008
WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the Government Employees
(Health Insurance) Act 1986:
Be it enacted by The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Assembly of
Bermuda, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Short title
1 This Act, which amends the Government Employees (Health
Insurance) Act 1986 (the “principal Act”), may be cited as the
Government Employees (Health Insurance) Amendment Act 2008.
Amends section 2
2 Section 2 of the principal Act is amended—
(a) in subsection (1), in the definition of “government
employee”, by deleting the words “employed by
Government Boards or the Bermuda Hospitals Board as
the Minister may by Notice in the Gazette prescribe” and
substituting the words “as may be prescribed by the
Minister under subsection (1A)”; and
(b) by, immediately after subsection (1), inserting the
following new subsections—
1
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (HEALTH INSURANCE)
AMENDMENT ACT 2008
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“(1A) The Minister may by notice in the Gazette
prescribe persons who are employed by a Government
Board specified in the notice, or by the Bermuda
Hospitals Board, as government employees for the
purposes of this Act.
(1B) A notice under subsection (1A) shall be
subject to the negative resolution procedure.”.
Amends section 14
3 Section 14 of the principal Act is amended—
(a) in subsection (1) by, immediately after the word
“subsections”, inserting “(1A),”; and
(b) by, immediately after subsection (1), inserting the
following new subsections—
“(1A) A person who has retired pursuant to section
20 or 21 of the National Pensions Scheme (Occupational
Pensions) Act 1998, and who is insured pursuant to the
Health Insurance Act 1970 at the date he commences
his employment as a government employee, shall be
enrolled under subsection (1) unless he elects to
continue in force the existing insurance.
(1B) An election under subsection (1A) shall be
exercised by written notice to the Accountant General
within a month after the date the person is employed as
a government employee, or such longer period as the
Committee may in special circumstances allow.
(1C) A person who wishes to enrol in the Scheme
after exercising his election to continue in force his
insurance under subsection (1A) may at any time
complete and forward to the Committee an enrolment
form but such enrolment of the person or the person’s
dependants shall not take effect until the expiry of—
(a) six months after the date the completed
enrolment form is received by the
Committee; or
(b) such shorter period as the Committee
may decide.”.
Amends section 22
4 Section 22 of the principal Act is amended by, immediately after
subsection (2), inserting the following new subsection—
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (HEALTH INSURANCE)
AMENDMENT ACT 2008
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“ (3) For greater certainty, a deceased retired government
employee’s non-employed spouse who remarries shall be eligible
to continue to be enrolled under the Scheme on the same terms
and conditions as the deceased retired government employee, as
if such deceased retired government employee had been alive
and they were still married, subject only to the adjustment in the
rate of contributions.”.
