Federal law permits state, county, and local governments to exempt their employees in self-insured plans from some of the protections discussed previously in this chapter.  Public employers must make this choice annually.  When they do so, they are required to notify the federal government and specify which health insurance protections will not apply to their employees’ health insurance plan.

According to the latest list available from the federal government, the City of Fairbanks has decided that certain health insurance protections will not apply to its employees.  If you have group health coverage through this employer, you should contact it for more information.  Other non-federal public employers in Alaska may have made this choice after this guide was written.  If you are not sure about your protections under your public employee health plan, you should contact your employer.