Section 22. (a) Upon meeting the requirements of section 21, an appropriate public authority of a political subdivision which has undertaken to provide health insurance coverage to its subscribers by acceptance of any other section of this chapter may include, as part of the health plans that it offers to its subscribers not enrolled in a Medicare plan under section 18A, copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other cost-sharing plan design features that are no greater in dollar amount than the copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other cost-sharing plan design features offered by the commission pursuant to section 4 or 4A of chapter 32A in a non-Medicare plan with the largest subscriber enrollment; provided, however, that for subscribers enrolled in a Medicare plan pursuant to section 18A the appropriate public authority may include, as part of the health plans that it offers to its subscribers, copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other cost-sharing plan design features that are no greater in dollar amount than the copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other cost-sharing plan design features offered by the commission pursuant to section 4 or 4A of chapter 32A in a Medicare plan with the largest subscriber enrollment. The appropriate public authority shall not include a plan design feature which seeks to achieve premium savings by offering a health benefit plan with a reduced or selective network or providers unless the appropriate public authority also offers a health benefit plan to all subscribers that does not contain a reduced or selective network of providers.
(b) An appropriate public authority may increase the dollar amounts for copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other cost-sharing plan design features; provided that, for subscribers enrolled in a non-Medicare plan, such features do not exceed plan design features offered by the commission pursuant to section 4 or 4A of chapter 32A in a non-Medicare plan with the largest subscriber enrollment and, for subscribers enrolled in a Medicare plan under section 18A, such features do not exceed plan design features offered by the commission pursuant to section 4 or 4A of chapter 32A in a Medicare plan with the largest subscriber enrollment; provided, however, that the public authority need only satisfy the requirements of subsection (a) of section 21 the first time changes are implemented pursuant to this section; and provided, further that the public authority meet its obligations under subsections (b) to (h), inclusive, of section 21 each time an increase to a plan design feature is proposed.
Nothing herein shall prohibit an appropriate public authority from including in its health plans higher copayments, deductibles or tiered provider network copayments or other plan design features than those authorized by this section; provided, however, such higher copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other plan design features may be included only after the governmental unit has satisfied any bargaining obligations pursuant to section 19 or chapter 150E.
(c) The decision to accept and implement this section shall not be subject to bargaining pursuant to chapter 150E or section 19. Nothing in this section shall preclude the implementation of plan design changes pursuant to this section in communities that have adopted section 19 of this chapter or by the governing board of a joint purchasing group established pursuant to section 12.
(d) Nothing in this section shall relieve an appropriate public authority from providing health insurance coverage to a subscriber to whom it has an obligation to provide coverage under any other provision of this chapter.
(e) The first time a public authority implements plan design changes under this section or section 23, the public authority shall not increase before July 1, 2018, the percentage contributed by retirees, surviving spouses and their dependents to their health insurance premiums from the percentage that was approved by the public authority prior to and in effect on May 1, 2014; provided however, that if a public authority approved of an increase in said percentage contributed by retirees before May 1, 2014, but to take effect on a date after May 1, 2014, said percentage increase may take effect upon the approval of the secretary of administration and finance based on documented evidence satisfactory to the secretary that the public authority approved the increase prior to May 1, 2014.