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.

In the past, some public employers in Oregon have decided that certain health insurance protections will not apply to their employees. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) used to post a list of employers which had elected to exempt, however it has removed this information from its web site.

If you are not sure about your protections under your public employee health plan, you should contact your employer. In addition, you can contact CMS directly at (877) 267-2323 ext. 6156 or at (410) 786-1565 to see if your employer has selected to be exempt from certain protections.