With regard to district court officers and employees whose total salary is payable by a county, such county shall either provide for insurance coverage for hospitalization, medical services, surgical services and other health services at least equal to insurance coverage provided to other state officers and employees under the state health care benefits program or, if such district court officers and employees are designated by the Kansas state employees health care commission under subsection (c) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-6501 as qualified to participate in the state health care benefits program, shall pay the employer’s costs for enrolling such employees under the state health care benefits program. In the event a county elects the latter type of coverage, counties shall remit the employer and employee premiums to the Kansas state employees health care commission in accordance with the directions of the commission, and counties may adopt the same type payroll deduction plan for employee premiums as provided in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-6506. The provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 75-6501 to 75-6511, inclusive, shall be applicable to such employees in the same manner as other persons eligible to participate in the state health care benefits program.