N.Y. Civil Service Law § 165: Termination of active employment

§ 165. Termination of active employment. 1. The health benefit

coverage of any employee and his or her dependents, if any, shall cease

upon the discontinuance of his or her term of office or employment,

subject to regulations which may be prescribed by the president for

extension of coverage and for conversion to an individual contract

providing for such of the benefits provided under this article as may be

provided under such individual contracts, under terms approved by the

president, the total cost of any such contract to be borne by the

employee.

2. In the event of death of an employee having coverage at the time of

death for himself or herself and his or her dependents, and where the

circumstances of death are such that beneficiaries or dependents of such

deceased employee are entitled to an accidental death benefit payable by

a retirement system or pension plan administered by the state or a civil

division thereof on account of death resulting from an accident

sustained in the performance of his or her duties or to death benefits

provided for under the workers' compensation law, the unremarried spouse

of such employee covered at the time of his or her death and his or her

covered dependents, for so long as they would otherwise qualify as

dependents eligible for coverage under the regulations of the president,

shall be eligible to continue full coverage under the health benefit

plan upon payment at intervals determined by the president of the full

cost of such coverage; provided, however, that the state shall pay and

any participating employer may elect to pay the full cost of such

coverage, except that in the case of those enrolled in an optional

benefit plan, the employer shall contribute not more than the same

dollar amount which would be paid if such unremarried spouse and

dependents were enrolled in the basic statewide health benefit plan. The

president shall adopt such regulations as may be required to carry out

the provisions of this subdivision which shall include, but need not be

limited to, provisions for filing application for continued coverage,

including reasonable time limits therefor, and provisions for continued

coverage of spouse and dependents pending determination of an

application for accidental death benefits from a retirement system or

pension plan administered by the state or a civil division thereof or

pending determination of a claim for death benefits under the workers'

compensation law.