An Act To Assist School Administrative Units in ProviJi~g Health Insurance to Their Employees
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0404
Committee Amendment CA_A_H262 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "Q. "to H.P. 322, L.D. 404, Bill, "An Act To Assist 
School Administrative Units in ProviJi~g Health Insurance to Their Employees" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §lOOl, sub-§14, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
D. In order to facilitate the competitive bidding process in procuring health insurance 
for a school administrative unit's employees under this subsection, the administrator 
for an individual school plan or for a group plan for a multiple-school group shall 
seek and obtain competitive bids through a request for proposal process from 
qualified insurers at least once every 5 years commencing July 1, 2012. 
The 
administrator for any such group plan shall make the request for proposal responses 
available to requesting school administrative units, excluding any portions of the 
request for proposal responses considered to be confidential proprietary information 
by the submitting insurers. If any such individual school plan or group plan is 
subsequently self-insured, in whole or in part, the school board shall compare the 
overall cost of such a self-insured plan, including projected claims, all administrative 
expenses and reinsurance expenses, to the cost of insured products at least once every 
years commencing July 1, 2012. 
Sec. 2. Voluntary employee benefits trust; low-cost plan. The voluntary 
employee benefits trust established pursuant to the federal Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, 29 United States Code, Sections 1001 to 1461 (1988) by a 
statewide education association shall review and consider creating a new benefits option 
with a lower premium rate for the plan year stmiing July 1, 2012 or a subsequent plan 
year. 
Sec. 3. Voluntary employee benefits trust; board of trustees appointment. 
The voluntary employee benefits trust established pursuant to the federal Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 United States Code, Sections 1001 to 1461 
(1988) by a statewide education association shall include a representative appointed by 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~. 
~~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 322, L.D. 404 
the Maine School Boards Association to serve as a member of the trust's board of trustees 
no later than January 1,2012.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs. The amendment replaces the bill. 
1. It requires the administrator of an individual school health plan or a group plan 
covering a multiple-school group to seek competitive bids at least once every 5 years. 
The amendment requires that the administrator of any such group plan must make the 
competitive bids available to individual school administrative units upon request. 
2. In recognition of the fact that the premium rates for the plan year starting July 1, 
2011 have alrea4y been set, the amendment requires the Maine Education Association 
Benefits Trust to review the current benefits option and consider creating a new benefits 
option with a lower premium rate for the 2012 plan year or a subsequent plan year. 
3. 
It requires the Maine Education Association Benefits Trust to include a 
representative appointed by the Maine School Boards Association to serve as a member 
of the board of trustees of the trust no later than January 1,2012. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT