The Vote by a Political Subdivision to Implement Changes in Group Health Insurance Benefits Under

M.G.L. c. 32B, §§ 21 through 23 (1) Advance Notice of Intent to Vote. At least two calendar days in advance of any vote electing to change group health insurance under the process authorized by M.G.L. c. 32B, §§ 21 through 23, the appropriate public authority shall send a notice to each collective bargaining unit to which the authority provides health insurance benefits and to the Retired State, County Municipal Employees Association (RSCME) that the political subdivision intends to vote on whether to implement the process. The vote of the political subdivision under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 21(a) may be in the following form: "The [name of political subdivision] elects to engage in the process to change health insurance benefits under M.G.L. c. 32B, §§ 21 through 23." (2) Notice of Vote, Request for Name and Contact Information for Public Employee Committee Representatives, and Number of Eligible Unit Members. (a) A political subdivision which has elected under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 21(a) to change health insurance benefits under M.G.L. c. 32B, §§ 22 through 23, shall, before implementing any changes, evaluate its health insurance coverage and determine the savings that may be realized after the first 12 months of implementation of cost-sharing plan design changes or upon transfer of its subscribers to the commission. The appropriate public authority shall then notify its insurance advisory committee, or such committee's regional or district equivalent, of its estimated savings. The notice shall include all the information required in 801 CMR 52.03. In any political subdivision in which an insurance advisory committee has not already been established under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 3, the appropriate public authority shall notify the president of each organization of employees affected and shall designate and notify a retiree of a governmental unit as a member of the committee. The insurance advisory committee, within ten days after receiving this notice, shall meet with the appropriate public authority to discuss its estimated savings and any reports or other documentation requested by the insurance advisory committee before that meeting. If the committee does not meet within ten days after receiving proper notice, it shall be considered to have discussed the matter with the appropriate public authority. (b) Not later than two business days after the insurance advisory committee meets with the appropriate public authority or ten days after the insurance advisory committee receives notice from the appropriate public authority, whichever occurs first, a political subdivision which has elected under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 21(a) to make changes under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 22 or 23 shall, provide a notice of its decision, in writing, to the president or designee of each collective bargaining unit and to the RSCME and shall include the number of employees eligible for health insurance under M.G.L. c. 32B employed in each bargaining unit of the political subdivision. (c) In any political subdivision which has not previously formed a public employee committee under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 19, the notice shall request that each of the collective bargaining units and the RSCME provide the name, address, phone number, and email address of its designated public employee committee representative. (d) Where a public employee committee already exists under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 19, each collective bargaining unit and RSCME shall, within two business days of receipt of notice under 801 CMR 52.02(2)(d), provide the appropriate public authority with the name, address, phone number and email address of its designated public employee committee representative. If no public employee committee exists at the time of receipt of the notice, each collective bargaining unit and RSCME shall designate a representative to a public employee committee exclusively to negotiate changes under M.G.L. c. 32B, §§ 21 through 23 and provide the appropriate public authority with the name, address, phone number and email address of its designated public employee committee representative within five business days after receipt of notice under 801 CMR 52.02(3). If no public employee committee exists at the time of receipt of notice from the political subdivision and the appropriate public authority has not received this information from a collective bargaining unit or RSCME within five business days, the collective bargaining unit's principal officer shall be the unit's representative on the public employee committee, the president of the RSCME shall be its representative on the public employee committee, and the appropriate public authority shall send the notice specified under 801 CMR 52.03 to the collective bargaining unit's principal officer and to RSCME's president.