ORS 350.355: Health care benefits for part-time faculty; rules.

(1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a part-time faculty member at a public institution of higher education is eligible for the same employee-only health care benefits, including dental benefits and vision benefits, as full-time faculty members if the part-time faculty member is eligible for membership in the Public Employees Retirement System or another plan authorized under ORS chapter 238 or 238A by working either at a single public institution of higher education or in aggregate at multiple public institutions of higher education during the previous academic year. (b) The total cost of providing any health benefit plan offered by a public institution of higher education to a part-time faculty member under this section may not increase annually by more than the annual increase in premium amounts paid for contracted health benefit plans that is permitted under ORS 243.135 (8)(b) or 243.866 (9)(b). (2)(a) In order to receive employee-only health care benefits under this section, a part-time faculty member must select a home public institution of higher education for the duration of the benefit year under a process established by each institution. A home public institution of higher education selected under this subsection: (A) Must be one from which the part-time faculty member received a salary, a grant or other payment for work performed by the part-time faculty member that is substantially similar to work performed by a full-time faculty member, including teaching, research or student mentorship and advising; (B) Must be one from which the part-time faculty member received payment, as described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, at: (i) The time of the application; or (ii) Any time during the previous benefit year, if the part-time faculty member is not currently receiving payment from any public institution of higher education but otherwise is eligible for employee-only health care benefits; and (C) Is responsible for: (i) Determining whether the part-time faculty member is eligible to receive health care benefits under this section; (ii) Determining, on an annual basis, whether a part-time faculty member who was found to be eligible to receive health care benefits under sub-subparagraph (i) of this subparagraph continues to be eligible to receive health care benefits under this section; (iii) Collecting the premiums for health benefit plans that must be paid by the part-time faculty member under subsection (3) of this section; (iv) Paying the full cost of the insurance premiums for providing health benefit plans to the part-time faculty member, subject to reimbursement as described in subsection (4) of this section; and (v) Administering and providing health benefit plans to the part-time faculty member in the manner described in this section. (b) In order to receive health care benefits under this section, a part-time faculty member must provide the home public institution of higher education with all information necessary for the institution to determine the eligibility of the part-time faculty member to receive health care benefits under this section. (c) No later than 30 days before the deadline to submit an application to receive health care benefits under this section, each public institution of higher education must notify all part-time faculty members who have been employed by the institution during the current academic year and the previous academic year of: (A) The eligibility requirements to receive health benefits under this section; (B) The health care benefits and associated costs available to qualifying part-time faculty members; and (C) Instructions on how part-time faculty members may apply to receive health care benefits under this section. (3)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a part-time faculty member at a public institution of higher education shall pay 10 percent of all insurance premiums for health benefit plans. (b) A public institution of higher education may provide by collective bargaining at the institution to pay for some or all of the insurance premiums that must otherwise be paid by a part-time faculty member under paragraph (a) of this subsection. The public institution of higher education may not be reimbursed under subsection (4) of this section for the costs the institution incurs to provide health benefit plans under this paragraph. (4)(a) Every three months a public institution of higher education may request reimbursement from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for the cost of paying insurance premiums for providing health benefit plans to each part-time faculty member who has selected the institution as the faculty member’s home public institution of higher education under subsection (2) of this section. (b) The commission shall use moneys from the Part-Time Faculty Insurance Fund established under ORS 350.357 to fully reimburse each public institution of higher education for all documented costs requested by the institution under this subsection, except for any costs described in subsection (3) of this section. (5) Unless otherwise provided for by collective bargaining, a part-time faculty member at a public institution of higher education who is eligible for health care benefits under subsection (1) of this section may receive health care benefits only in the manner provided by this section. (6) Each agency request budget filed by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission under ORS 291.208 must include, as part of the budget, moneys sufficient to provide health care benefits to part-time faculty members in the manner required by this section. (7) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission may adopt rules necessary to implement subsection (4) of this section. [Formerly 351.704; 2021 c.583 §1; 2022 c.81 §30; 2023 c.502 §1; 2024 c.95 §39]