Item Text

34. AMEND THE MARICOPA COUNTY HEALTH CARE PLAN Approve amending The Maricopa County Health Care Plan (the “Plan”), which amending is effective as of July 1, 2008, to allow military reservists who are called or ordered to active military duty, on or after July 1, 2008, to elect receipt of a Qualified Reservist Distribution (“QRD”) for health care expenditures from the reservist’s Health Care Account; these reservists’ health care accounts are under the auspices of Maricopa County. Under Section 6.1 of the Plan, the Board of Supervisors is allowed to amend the Plan, which amending is needed to assure the Plan’s successful operation and administration. Currently, the Plan does not allow military reservists who are called or ordered to active military duty and are participants in a Health Care Account to receive a distribution of certain funds from his or her Health Care Account for a Plan Year. Amending the Plan is required to allow these military reservists to elect a distribution (i.e., a QRD) from their respective Health Care Accounts. Also amending the Plan allows it to comply with necessary federal and state regulations. A military reservist is defined as a member of the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, the Coast Guard Reserve, or the Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service. A reservist who is ordered or called to active military duty for a period of 180 days or for an indefinite period may elect to receive a QRD from his or her Health Care Account. However, the reservist must have been called or ordered to active duty on or after July 1, 2008, and to qualify for the QRD election the reservist must submit the necessary paperwork of his or her active duty to a review committee. After receiving the necessary paperwork, the review committee will determine within 60 days whether to honor the reservist’s election for a QRD. As a general rule, a reservist who elects a QRD and receives it will forfeit the right to receive reimbursement for Covered Health Expenses incurred during the Plan Year. (C-35-09-011-3-00)