As used in this chapter:

"Board" means the board of trustees of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund described in section 87A-5.

"Carrier" means a voluntary association, corporation, partnership, or organization engaged in providing, paying for, arranging for, or reimbursing the cost of, health benefits or long-term care benefits under group insurance contracts.

"Contribution" means money payments made to the fund by the State, the counties, an employee-beneficiary, or a qualified-beneficiary.

"County" means the counties of Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui, including their respective boards of water supply and other quasi-independent boards, commissions, and agencies.

"Credited service" means service as an officer or employee paid by the State or county, service during the period of leave of absence or exchange if the individual is paid by the State or county during the leave of absence or exchange, and service during the period of unpaid leave of absence or exchange if the individual is engaged in the performance of a governmental function or if the unpaid leave of absence is an approved leave of absence for professional improvement.

"Dependent-beneficiary" means an employee-beneficiary's:

1. (1) Spouse;

2. (2) Child deemed eligible by the board, including a legally adopted child, stepchild, foster child, or recognized natural child, but excluding a child born or legally adopted more than ten months after the date of the death of:

   1. (A) An active employee killed in the performance of duty;
   2. (B) An active employee who was eligible to retire on the date of death; or
   3. (C) A retired employee-beneficiary; and

3. (3) Unmarried child regardless of age who is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical incapacity, which existed prior to the unmarried child's reaching the age of nineteen years.

   "Employee" means an employee or officer of the State, county, or legislature,

4. (1) Including:

   1. (A) An elective officer;
   2. (B) An officer or employee under an authorized leave of absence;
   3. (C) An employee of the Hawaii national guard although paid from federal funds;
   4. (D) A retired member of the employees' retirement system; the county pension system; or the police, firefighters, or bandsmen pension system of the State or county;
   5. (E) A salaried and full-time member of a board, commission, or agency appointed by the governor or the mayor of a county; and
   6. (F) A person employed by contract for a period not exceeding one year, where the director of human resources development, personnel services, or civil service has certified that the service is essential or needed in the public interest and that, because of circumstances surrounding its fulfillment, personnel to perform the service cannot be obtained through normal civil service recruitment procedures,

5. (2) But excluding:

   1. (A) A designated beneficiary of a retired member of the employees' retirement system; the county pension system; or the police, firefighters, or bandsmen pension system of the State or county;
   2. (B) Except as allowed under paragraph (1)(F), a person employed temporarily on a fee or contract basis; and

   3. (C) A part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee.

      "Employee-beneficiary" means:

   4. (1) An employee;

   5. (2) The beneficiary of an employee who is killed in the performance of the employee's duty, including:

      1. (A) The surviving child, if there is no surviving parent who is eligible to be an employee-beneficiary and the child is unmarried and under the limiting age as defined by the board; and
      2. (B) The surviving spouse, if the surviving spouse does not subsequently remarry;
   6. (3) An employee who retired prior to 1961; and

   7. (4) The beneficiary of a retired member of the employees' retirement system; a county pension system; or a police, firefighters, or bandsmen pension system of the State or a county, upon the death of the retired member, including:

      1. (A) The surviving child, if there is no surviving parent who is eligible to be an employee-beneficiary and the child is unmarried and under the limiting age as defined by the board; and

      2. (B) The surviving spouse, if the surviving spouse does not subsequently remarry;

         provided that the employee, the employee's beneficiary, or the beneficiary of the deceased retired employee is deemed eligible by the board to participate in a health benefits plan or long-term care benefits plan under this chapter.

         "Fund" means the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund established in section 87A-30.

         "Health benefits plan" means:

      3. (1) A group insurance contract or service agreement that may include medical, hospital, surgical, prescribed drugs, vision, and dental services, in which a carrier agrees to provide, pay for, arrange for, or reimburse the cost of the services as determined by the board; or

      4. (2) A similar schedule of benefits established by the board and provided through the fund on a self-insured basis.

         "Long-term care benefits plan" means:

      5. (1) A group insurance contract or service agreement in which a carrier agrees to provide, pay for, arrange for, or reimburse the cost of long-term care benefits as determined by the board; or

      6. (2) A similar schedule of benefits established by the board and provided through the fund on a self-insured basis.

         "Part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee" means a person employed for fewer than three months or whose employment is less than one-half of a full-time equivalent position.

         "Periodic charge" means the periodic payment by the board to a carrier for any health benefits plan or long-term care benefits plan.

         "Qualified-beneficiary" means, for purposes of the long-term care benefits plan, a former employee or an employee who is not eligible for benefits due to a reduction in work hours, including the spouse, divorced spouse, parents, grandparents, in-law parents, and in-law grandparents of an employee or retiree; provided that the beneficiary was enrolled in the plan before the employee or former employee became ineligible for benefits.

         "State agency" includes the office of Hawaiian affairs.

         "Trustee" means a trustee of the board of trustees of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund, as described in section 87A-5.

[L 2001, c 88, pt of §1; am L 2003, c 152, §1; am L 2012, c 36, §1; am L 2019, c 51, §2]