Colorado § 24-50-613 - Group benefit plans reserve fund.

§ 24-50-613. Group benefit plans reserve fund.

(1) There is hereby established the group benefit plans reserve fund. The state treasurer shall be ex officio treasurer of this fund, and the state treasurer's general bond to the state shall cover all liabilities for acts as treasurer of the fund. The director shall remit to the treasurer for deposit in the group benefit plans reserve fund all payments received by the director for group benefit plans premium costs from employees and the state as employer. The director shall also remit to the treasurer for deposit in the group benefit plans reserve fund any payments received by the director from the carriers of group benefit plans. Such payments shall not be included in the general revenues of the state of Colorado and shall not be general assets of the state. At the end of the fiscal year, any unexpended funds shall not revert to the general fund but shall be held by the state treasurer in custodial capacity, to be used subject to direction from the director.

(2) (a) Expenditures shall be made from the group benefit plans reserve fund, upon certification by the director, for the payment of premiums, claims costs, and other administrative fees and costs associated with the group benefit plans.

(b) In the event that the director enters into contracts or renewals for group benefit plans that are self-funded, the moneys in the group benefit plans reserve fund shall be expended only for premiums, claims costs, other administrative fees and costs associated with the group benefit plans, and for the purposes of subsection (3) of this section. The moneys in the group benefit plans reserve fund shall not be appropriated by the general assembly or expended by the director for any other purpose.

(3) A premium stabilization reserve account shall be established within the group benefit plans reserve fund the purpose of which is to offset unexpected year-end deficits and extraordinary fluctuations in annual premiums. The moneys in the account shall not be included in the general revenues of the state and shall not be general assets of the state. The moneys in the account shall be expended for purposes of such fund and shall not be appropriated by the general assembly or expended by the director for any other purpose.

(4) The state's cost of administering group benefit plans, other than the costs provided for in subsection (2) of this section, is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly based on the submission by the director of a budget request containing detailed information on current and projected administrative costs, which include, but are not limited to, personal services, operating expenses, travel expenses, utilization review, and implementation of a flexible benefits plan.

(5) The director, from time to time, shall certify in writing to the state treasurer for investment such portions of the group benefit plans reserve fund as in the director's judgment may not be needed for the payment of premiums and claims costs to the carriers. Such investments shall be made as determined by the state treasurer and shall be limited to those securities authorized for investment by the board of trustees of the public employees' retirement association pursuant to section 24-51-206. Interest on the investment of the group benefit plans reserve fund shall be credited to the fund.

Source: L. 94: Entire part added with relocations, p. 1134, § 1, effective May 19. L. 2005: (1), (2), and (3) amended, p. 36, § 1, effective July 1.

Editor's note: This section was formerly numbered as 10-8-215.