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.

Non-federal public employers in Oregon 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.