§ 12-8-210 - Insurance -- Medical and hospital.
               	 		
12-8-210.    Insurance -- Medical and hospital.
    (a)    (1)  The  Department of Arkansas State Police is authorized and directed to  obtain a policy or contract of medical and hospital insurance or to  establish a self-insurance fund in lieu thereof to provide medical and  hospital insurance for all uniformed employees of the department.
      (2)  The  department shall pay the premium, fee, or other costs for the policy or  contract or payments into a self-insurance fund from funds appropriated  to the department for personal service matching or which may be  specifically appropriated for that purpose.
(b)  The  department is authorized to provide hospitalization and medical  services coverage under a group health insurance program or may in lieu  thereof provide coverage for hospitalization and medical insurance  services under a self-insurance program established by the department  for the spouses and dependents of uniformed personnel of the department  and to pay the premium thereon or payments into the self-insurance fund  from funds appropriated for that purpose.
(c)  In  the event that the department, acting pursuant to a resolution adopted  by the Arkansas State Police Commission therefor, exercises the option  to establish a self-insurance program, this program shall provide  hospitalization and medical services coverage for uniformed employees of  the department and for the spouses and dependents of uniformed  personnel of the department as authorized in this section and shall be  operated in accordance with policies, rules, procedures, and benefits  prescribed by the commission.
(d)  Members  of the department who retire and receive retirement benefits under the  State Police Retirement System after July 1, 1985, shall be eligible to  participate in the group health self-insurance program established by  the commission for uniformed personnel and for their spouses and  dependents in the same manner and under the same conditions as provided  in      21-5-410 -- 21-5-412, which authorize retired state employees  receiving retirement benefits under the Arkansas Public Employees'  Retirement System to participate in the state employees' hospitalization  and medical insurance program.