North Dakota Code 54-52.1-01 – Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 54-52.1-01
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Organization: includes a foreign or domestic association, business trust, corporation, enterprise, estate, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or any legal or commercial entity. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- week: means seven consecutive days and the word "month" a calendar month. See North Dakota Code 1-01-33
- year: means twelve consecutive months. See North Dakota Code 1-01-33
1. “Board” means the public employees retirement board.
2. “Carrier” means:
a. For the hospital benefits coverage, an insurance company authorized to do business in the state, or a nonprofit hospital service association, or a prepaid group practice hospital care plan authorized to do business in the state, or the state if a self-insurance health plan is used for providing hospital benefits coverage.
b. For the medical benefits coverage, an insurance company authorized to do business in the state, or a nonprofit medical service association, or a prepaid group practice medical care plan authorized to do business in the state, or the state if a self-insurance health plan is used for providing medical benefits coverage.
c. For the life insurance benefits coverage, an insurance company authorized to do business in the state.
3. “Department, board, or agency” means the departments, boards, agencies, or associations of this state. The term includes the state’s charitable, penal, and higher educational institutions; the Bank of North Dakota; the state mill and elevator association; and counties, cities, district health units, and school districts.
4. “Eligible employee” means every permanent employee who is employed by a governmental unit, as that term is defined in section 54-52-01. “Eligible employee” includes members of the legislative assembly, judges of the supreme court, paid members of state or political subdivision boards, commissions, or associations, full-time employees of political subdivisions, elective state officers as defined by section 54-06-01, and disabled permanent employees who are receiving compensation from the North Dakota workforce safety and insurance fund. As used in this subsection, “permanent employee” means one whose services are not limited in duration, who is filling an approved and regularly funded position in a governmental unit, and who is employed at least seventeen and one-half hours per week and at least five months each year or for those first employed after August 1, 2003, is employed at least twenty hours per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment. For purposes of sections 54-52.1-04.1, 54-52.1-04.7, 54-52.1-04.8, and 54-52.1-11, “eligible employee” includes retired and terminated employees who remain eligible to participate in the uniform group insurance program pursuant to applicable state or federal law.
5. “Health insurance benefits coverage” means hospital benefits coverage or medical benefits coverage, or both.
6. “Health maintenance organization” means an organization certified to establish and operate a health maintenance organization in compliance with chapter 26.1-18.1.
7. “Hospital benefits coverage” means a plan that either provides coverage for, or pays, or reimburses expenses for hospital services incurred in accordance with the uniform contract.
8. “Life insurance benefits coverage” means a plan that provides both term life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance in amounts determined by the board, with a minimum of one thousand dollars provided for the term life insurance portion of the coverage.
9. “Medical benefits coverage” means a plan that either provides coverage for, or pays, or reimburses expenses for medical services in accordance with the uniform contract.
10. “Member contribution” means the payment by the member into the retiree health benefits fund pursuant to sections 54-52-02.9 and 54-52-17.4.
11. “Member’s account balance” means the member’s contributions plus interest at the rate set by the board.
12. “Self-insurance health plan” means a plan of self-insurance providing health insurance benefits coverage under section 54-52.1-04.2.
13. “Temporary employee” means a governmental unit employee who is not filling an approved and regularly funded position in an eligible governmental unit and whose services may or may not be limited in duration.