§5-16D-1. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

(a) “Actuarial cost method” means a method for determining the actuarial present value of the obligations and administrative expenses of the fund and for developing an actuarially equivalent allocation of the value to time periods, usually in the form of a normal cost and a total other post-employment benefits liability. Acceptable actuarial methods are the aggregate, attained age, entry age, frozen attained age, frozen entry age, and projected unit credit methods.

(b) “Actuarially sound” means that calculated contributions to the fund are sufficient to pay the full actuarial cost of the fund. The full actuarial cost includes both the normal cost of providing for fund obligations as they accrue in the future and the cost of amortizing the unfunded total other post-employment benefits liability over a period of no more than 30 years.

(c) “Actuarial present value of total projected benefits” means the present value, at the valuation date, of the cost to finance benefits payable in the future, discounted to reflect the expected effects of the time value of money and the probability of payment.

(d) “Actuarial assumptions” means assumptions regarding the occurrence of future events affecting the fund such as mortality, withdrawal, disability, and retirement; changes in compensation and offered post-employment benefits; rates of investment earnings and other asset appreciation or depreciation; procedures used to determine the actuarial value of assets; and other relevant items.

(e) “Actuarial valuation” means the determination, as of a valuation date, of the normal cost, total other post-employment benefits liability, actuarial value of assets, and related actuarial present values for the fund.

(f) “Administrative expenses” means all expenses incurred in the operation of the fund, including all investment expenses.

(g) “Board” means the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board created in §5-16-4 of this code.

(h) “Collective net other post-employment benefits liability” means for any actuarial valuation, the excess of the plan’s total other post-employment benefits liability over the actuarial value of the assets of the fund under an actuarial cost method used by the fund for funding purposes.

(i) “Cost-sharing multiple employer plan” means a single plan with pooling (cost-sharing) arrangements for the participating employers. All risk, rewards, and costs, including benefit costs, are shared and not attributed individually to the employers. A single actuarial valuation covers all plan members and the same contribution rate applies for each employer.

(j) “Covered health care expenses” means all actual health care expenses paid by the health plan on behalf of fund beneficiaries. Actual health care expenses include claims payments to providers and premiums paid to intermediary entities and health care providers by the health plan.

(k) “Employer” means any employer as defined by §5-16-2 of this code which has or will have retired employees in any Public Employees Insurance Agency health plan.

(l) “Fund” means the West Virginia Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund established under this article.

(m) “Fund beneficiaries” means all persons receiving post-employment health care benefits through the health plan.

(n) “Health plan” means the health insurance plan or plans established under §5-16-1 et seq. of this code.

(o) “Minimum annual employer payment” means the annual amount paid by employers which, when combined with the retirees’ contributions on their premiums that year, provide sufficient funds such that the annual finance plan of the finance board will cover all projected retiree covered health care expenses and related administrative costs for that year. The finance board shall develop the minimum annual employer payment as part of its financial plan each year as addressed in §5-16-5 of this code.

(p) “Normal cost” means that portion of the actuarial present value of the fund obligations and expenses which is allocated to a valuation year by the actuarial cost method used for the fund.

(q) “Obligations” means the administrative expenses of the fund and the cost of covered health care expenses incurred on behalf of fund beneficiaries.

(r) “Other post-employment benefits” or “retiree post-employment health care benefits” means those benefits as addressed by governmental accounting standards board statement no. 43 or any subsequent governmental standards board statement that may be applicable to the fund.

(s) “Plan for other post-employment benefits” means the fiscal funding plan for retiree post-employment health care benefits as it relates to governmental accounting standards board statement no. 43 or any subsequent governmental accounting standards board statements that may be applicable to the fund.

(t) “Proportionate share” means the portion of the collective net other post-employment benefits liability that is attributed to, and the responsibility of, a particular employer.

(u) “Retiree” means retired employee as defined by §5-16-2 of this code.

(v) “Retirement system” or “system” means the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board created and established by §5-10-1 et seq. of this code and includes any retirement systems or funds administered or overseen by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board.

(w) “Total other post-employment benefits liability” means that portion, as determined by a particular actuarial cost method, of the actuarial present value of fund obligations and administrative expenses which is not provided by future normal costs.