ARTICLE 4. BENEFIT AND LEAVE PROGRAMS EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/04/98
RULE 401. GROUP INSURANCE REVISED DATE: 06/05/03

A.    APPLICATION: Eligible employees are provided a wide range of benefits through their employment
        with the Court. These benefits include those which are mandated by law, such as workers
        compensation and state retirement, as well as those which are elective. This category includes all group
        insurances without regard to employee contributions. None of the benefits or leaves are intended by
        reason of their publication to confer any rights, privileges or entitlements to employees. Certain of the
        benefits or leaves in this Section may apply to contractual and/or temporary hires as determined by
        the terms of hire with the Court. For additional information regarding this Section, contact the Court
        Administrator.

B. COVERAGE:

1. The Court, in consultation with the Board of Supervisors, may offer Group Insurance coverage
for its employees and their dependents as follows:

a. Medical Insurance;

b. Dental Insurance;

c. Life Insurance;

d. Additional Plans, as approved by the Presiding Judge, in consultation with the Board of
Supervisors.

2. An employee may be required to share some or all of the cost of insurance.

C. ELIGIBILITY:

        1.     An employee assigned to work a minimum of thirty-two (32) hours per week in a budgeted, benefits
                eligible position is eligible for insurance coverage. A full-time employee who works less than thirty-
                two (32) hours per week for three (3) consecutive work periods shall have his or her insurance
                canceled. Part-time, temporary, emergency fill or intermittent status employees are not eligible for
                insurance coverage except as may be otherwise provided by written understanding as authorized
                and approved by the Presiding Judge.

        2.    Employees hired prior to the effective date of this Rule as revised on May 2, 1994, are not subject
                to the 32 hour working requirement for insurance coverage and must work a minimum of twenty
                (20) hours per week in order to retain insurance coverage. Part-time employees hired prior to the
                effective date of this Rule as revised on May 2, 1994, who work less than twenty (20) hours per
                week for three (3) consecutive work periods shall have their insurance canceled.

3. Employees electing coverage may choose to cover eligible dependents under medical coverage
and/or under any additional plans provided.

        4.    A dependent child is insurable up to the age of nineteen (19) or, age twenty-three (23), if a full-
                time student. Upon reaching the age of nineteen (19), a dependent child is no longer covered
                under the employee's plan unless proof is provided to the insurance carrier that the dependent is
                a full-time student; in which case, coverage shall continue as long as the dependent is a full-time
                student or reaches the age of twenty-three (23), whichever occurs first.

5. A reinstated employee shall be eligible for insurance coverage immediately.

D. ENROLLMENT AND EFFECTIVE DATE:

        1.    An eligible employee electing insurance coverage will enroll through the Superior Court Personnel
               Office within the first five (5) working days of appointment or at the new employee orientation
                provided for such enrollment or the employee must wait until the next annual Open Enrollment
                Period to obtain insurance coverage. If enrolled at the Open Enrollment Period, the employee
                and/or dependents may be required to submit Evidence of Insurability to the insurance company
                for approval at no expense to the Court or Mohave County.

        2.    Insurance coverage for an eligible employee hired between the first (1st) and fifteenth (15th) of the
               month becomes effective the first of the month immediately following the employee's date of hire.
               Insurance coverage for an eligible employee hired between the sixteenth (16th) and thirty-first (31st)
               of the month shall be effective the first day of the second month following the employee's date of hire.

E.    OPEN ENROLLMENT: Open Enrollment for group insurance is held at least once a year and is
        scheduled by the Mohave County Personnel Department in consultation with the Court Administrator.
        This is a specified period during which the benefits package adopted for the upcoming fiscal year is
        presented to eligible employees, during which time such employee may change, add to, delete or cancel
        insurance coverages. Open Enrollment is the only time an employee may change coverage except in the
        event of a change in family status (i.e. marriage, divorce, death of spouse or child, birth or adoption of
        child, and change in employment of spouse). These changes must be made within thirty (30) calendar
        days of the date of occurrence on the appropriate forms.

Employee and/or dependents may be required to submit Evidence of Insurability to the insurance
company for approval at no cost to the Court or Mohave County.

F. LEAVE WITHOUT PAY: Except as provided for in Rule 411, Family and Medical Leaves of
Absence, the following pertain:

        1.    An employee starting a leave of absence without pay who wishes to continue coverage under any
               of the group insurance programs must submit a leave of absence insurance form, prior to such
               leave, to the Benefits Division of the Mohave County Personnel and Risk Management Department
               for the employee to pay the full cost of the premiums; that is, both the employee's and employer's
               shares.

2. An employee on a leave of absence without pay who terminates prior to the end of such leave shall
be responsible for payment of insurance premiums up to the date of termination.

        3.    An employee starting a leave of absence without pay who does not wish to continue insurance
               coverage during such leave may cancel the coverage. A waiver to that effect must be provided to
               the Benefits Division of the Mohave County Personnel and Risk Management Department prior to
               the taking of the leave in that instance. The employee shall not be eligible to enroll in any coverage
               upon return from the leave of absence and must wait until the next regularly scheduled Open
               Enrollment period. The employee and/or dependents may have to submit Evidence of Insurability
               for approval by the insurance company at no cost to the Court.

G. CANCELLATION OF COVERAGE:

1. An employee may cancel any insurance coverages during Open Enrollment except the basic life
insurance.

        2.    An employee may cancel any dependent insurance coverage due to a bona fide change in family
                status (i.e. marriage, divorce, death of spouse or child, birth or adoption of child and termination
                of employment of spouse) within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of occurrence.

        3.    Employee/dependent insurance coverage ceases on the last day of the month in which the
               employee terminates.

        4.    Cancellation of coverage shall occur for nonpayment of premiums while on leave of absence
                without pay.

        5.    An employee whose coverage has been canceled in the current plan year may re-enroll for
                insurance coverage during the next regularly scheduled Open Enrollment. The employee
                and/or dependents may be required to submit Evidence of Insurability for approval by the
                insurance company at no cost to the Court.

H.    RETIREMENT: An employee retiring from Judicial service and who is receiving a monthly income
        from one of the Arizona State Retirement Plans may be eligible for medical coverage through the State
        or through a conversion policy under the medical carrier at the full cost of premiums. Retiring employees
        who wish medical coverage must make arrangements within thirty (30) calendar days prior to retirement.

I.    CONTINUATION OF GROUP MEDICAL, DENTAL AND OTHER INSURANCE
       COVERAGE: The Federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA)
        gives employees and their qualified dependents the opportunity to continue group health insurance
        coverage when a "qualifying event" would normally result in the loss of eligibility. Some common
        qualifying events are resignation, termination of employment, or death of an employee; a reduction in
        the employee's hours or leave of absence; an employee's divorce or legal separation; and a dependent
        child no longer meeting eligibility requirements. Under COBRA, the employee pays the full cost of
        coverage at the group rate plus an administration fee.