The 30-day Negotiation Period

(1) The 30 (calendar) day negotiation period shall commence when each member of the public employee committee has received the implementation notice, with the information required under 801 CMR 52.03, in the manner specified under 801 CMR 52.01(3). (2) The negotiations between the public employee committee and the appropriate public authority may include all aspects of the public authority's proposal. The parties are encouraged to negotiate in good faith. (3) The public authority shall not implement any changes in health insurance benefits during negotiations absent mutual agreement of the public employee committee and the appropriate public authority. (4) Any agreements reached between the public employee committee and the appropriate public authority shall be reduced to writing, and executed by the parties within the 30-day period. A written agreement shall include the plan design changes or transfer to the Commission, the process to notify subscribers of the changes, the timeframe to implement the changes and the mitigation plan. The same information required for the appropriate public authority's proposal under 801 CMR 52.03 shall be included in the agreement or in a separate document accompanying it. The appropriate public authority shall send a copy of the agreement and other documents accompanying it to the Secretary within three business days after execution of the agreement, and shall send notice to the health insurance review panel created under 801 CMR 52.05 that there is no need for its services. (5) All subscribers shall be provided with at least 60 days advance notice in accordance with M.G.L. c. 175, § 24B, of any changes in plan design, including an agreement to transfer to the Commission. Notice shall not be effective until the changes are included in a written agreement between the appropriate public authority and the public employee committee under 801 CMR 52.04(5) or a written decision of the review panel under 801 CMR 52.06. (6) If the appropriate public authority and the public employee committee are able to reach a written agreement within 30 calendar days, the agreement shall be binding on all subscribers and their representatives, and the public authority shall implement the changes agreed to in the written agreement as quickly as practicable and in observance of the 60-day notice requirement identified above in 801 CMR 52.04(5). (7) If the change is to transfer subscribers to the Commission, the notice shall include information about the Commission plans, the enrollment process, and any other information specified by the Commission in 805 CMR 8.00: Municipal Health Coverage issued under M.G.L. c. 32B, § 23 relating to the process by which subscribers shall be transferred to the Commission.