{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-36-36-4523","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 36, § 36-4523","heading":"Each group to be nonprofit corporation – Size","body":"requirements – Purchase contracts – Enrollment by eligible employees\n\n– Filing of reports.\n\nA. Each Health Insurance Purchasing Group (HIPG) shall be a\n\nnonprofit corporation operated under the direction of a board of\n\ndirectors, which is composed of five (5) representatives of eligible\n\nemployers.\n\nB. Each HIPG shall be composed of at least two hundred eligible\n\nemployees from one or more eligible employers.\n\n1. A HIPG shall have twelve (12) months from the time of\n\nformation to reach the level of two hundred eligible employees.\n\n2. At the time of formation, the HIPG shall have at least\n\nfifty-one eligible employees.\n\nC. Upon the failure of a HIPG to maintain the required size\n\nrestrictions described in subsection B of this section, the HIPG\n\nshall notify the Commissioner in writing that the HIPG does not\n\ncomply with the size requirements. The HIPG may then continue to\n\noperate the health benefit plan for its members but shall within\n\nsixty (60) calendar days comply with the size requirements of this\n\nsection, or within a time period as determined by the Commissioner.\n\nD. Upon the failure of the HIPG to maintain size requirements\n\nas required under subsection C of this section, after sixty (60)\n\ncalendar days, or after the time period determined by the\n\nCommissioner, the HIPG may then be terminated following notice and\n\nhearing before the Commissioner.\n\nE. 1. Subject to the provisions of this act, a HIPG shall\n\npermit any eligible employer, which meets the membership\n\nrequirements of the HIPG, to contract with the HIPG for the purchase\n\nof a health benefits plan for its eligible employees and dependents\n\nof those eligible employees.\n\n2. The HIPG may not vary conditions of eligibility, including\n\npremium rates and membership fees, for any employer meeting the\n\nmembership requirements of the HIPG, nor may it vary conditions of\n\neligibility for any employee to qualify for a HIPG health benefits\n\nplan offered to the eligible employer by the HIPG.\n\n3. A HIPG may not require a contract under this subsection\n\nbetween a HIPG and a purchaser to be effective for a period of\n\nlonger than twelve (12) months.\n\n4. This shall not be construed to prevent a contract from being\n\nextended for additional twelve-month periods or preventing the\n\npurchaser from voluntarily electing a contract period of longer than\n\ntwelve (12) months.\n\n5. A contract shall provide that the purchaser agrees not to\n\nobtain or sponsor a health benefits plan, on behalf of any eligible\n\nemployees and their dependents, other than through the HIPG. This\n\nshall not be construed to apply to an eligible individual who\n\nresides in an area for which no coverage is offered by a HIPG health\n\ncarrier.\n\nF. 1. Under rules established to carry out this act, with\n\nrespect to an eligible employer that has a purchaser contract with a\n\nHIPG, individuals who are eligible employees of an eligible employer\n\nmay enroll for a health benefits plan offered by a HIPG health\n\ncarrier.\n\n2. The health benefits plan may include coverage for dependents\n\nof the enrolling employees, if this coverage is offered.\n\n3. The employees may enroll for health benefits provided\n\nthrough their employer’s contract with a HIPG.\n\nG. A HIPG shall not deny enrollment as a member to an\n\nindividual who is an eligible employee, or dependent of an employee\n\nqualified to be enrolled based on health-status-related factors,\n\nexcept as may be permitted by law.\n\nH. In the case of members enrolled in a health benefits plan\n\noffered by a HIPG health carrier, the HIPG shall provide for an\n\nannual open enrollment period of thirty (30) calendar days during\n\nwhich the members may change the coverage option in which the\n\nmembers are enrolled.\n\nI. 1. Nothing in this section shall preclude a HIPG from\n\nestablishing rules of employee eligibility for enrollment and\n\nreenrollment of members during the annual open enrollment period\nered by a HIPG health carrier, the HIPG shall provide for an\n\nannual open enrollment period of thirty (30) calendar days during\n\nwhich the members may change the coverage option in which the\n\nmembers are enrolled.\n\nI. 1. Nothing in this section shall preclude a HIPG from\n\nestablishing rules of employee eligibility for enrollment and\n\nreenrollment of members during the annual open enrollment period\n\nunder subsection H of this section.\n\n2. The rules shall be applied consistently to all purchasers\n\nand members within the HIPG and shall not be based in any manner on\n\nhealth-status-related factors and shall not conflict with sections\n\nof this act.\n\nJ. 1. Each HIPG shall annually file a report with the\n\nCommissioner to be reviewed for approval. The report shall include:\n\na. a description of its plan of operation including each\n\nof the products it intends to sell,\n\nb. a description of its marketing methods and materials,\n\nand\n\nc. a description of its membership and disclosure\n\nrequirements, or other information as required by the\n\nCommissioner through rules and regulations.\n\n2. The annual filing required shall be deemed approved upon\n\nexpiration of a sixty-day waiting period unless, prior to the end of\n\nthe period, it has been affirmatively approved or disapproved by the\n\nCommissioner. The Commissioner may extend the period to approve or\n\ndisapprove the annual filing by not more than an additional thirty\n\n(30) days by giving notice of such extension before expiration of\n\nthe initial sixty-day period. At the expiration of an extended\n\nperiod, the annual filing shall be deemed approved unless otherwise\n\napproved or disapproved by the Commissioner. The Commissioner may\n\nat any time, after notice and for cause shown, withdraw approval of\n\nan annual report.\n\nK. Each HIPG shall be considered a large group for purposes of\n\napplication of the Oklahoma Insurance Code to the activities and\n\nhealth benefit plans of the HIPG, unless stated otherwise in this\n\nact.","path":["OK Code","Title 36"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os36.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"cb516133ed16fa3983fcd3e212c43bf49dd46a553255dfb8e447eb7154456d8d","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-36-36-4522","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-36-36-4524"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}