NC H479

Allows widowed spouses and surviving dependents to continue group health insurance coverage for 36 months after a covered employee's death.

Adds new provision to G.S. 58-53-35 establishing a 36-month continuation period for coverage termination due to employee death, separate from the existing 18-month period for non-death terminations.

Continuation coverage terminates on the earliest of: 36 months after employee death, the end of required contribution period, when member becomes eligible for similar coverage elsewhere, or when the group policy terminates.

If an employer replaces a group policy with another group policy, employees retain any unexpired continuation periods to which they are entitled.

Becomes effective October 1, 2021, and applies to group policies in effect on and after that date.