GENERAL POWERS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGARDING COVERAGE PLANS.

The board of trustees may:

(1) prepare specifications for a coverage provided under this chapter;

(2) prescribe the time and conditions under which an employee, annuitant, or dependent is eligible for a coverage provided under this chapter;

(3) determine the methods and procedures of claims administration;

(4) determine the amount of payroll deductions and reductions applicable to employees and annuitants and establish procedures to implement those deductions and reductions;

(5) establish procedures for the board of trustees to decide contested cases arising from a coverage provided under this chapter;

(6) study, on an ongoing basis, the operation of all coverages provided under this chapter, including gross and net costs, administration costs, benefits, utilization of benefits, and claims administration;

(7) administer the employees life, accident, and health insurance and benefits fund;

(8) provide the beginning and ending dates of coverages of participants under all benefit plans;

(9) develop basic group coverage plans applicable to all individuals eligible to participate in the group benefits program under Sections 1551.101 and 1551.102;

(10) provide for optional group coverage plans in addition to the basic group coverage plans;

(11) provide, as the board of trustees determines is appropriate, either additional statewide optional coverage plans or individual agency coverage plans;

(12) develop health benefit plans that permit access to high-quality, cost-effective health care;

(13) design, implement, and monitor health benefit plan features intended to discourage excessive utilization, promote efficiency, and contain costs;

(14) develop and refine, on an ongoing basis, a health benefit strategy consistent with evolving benefit delivery systems;

(15) develop a funding strategy that efficiently uses employer contributions to achieve the purposes of this chapter and that is reasonable and ensures participants a fair choice among health benefit plans as provided by Section 1551.302; and

(16) appoint an advisory committee for the group benefits program under the terms provided by Section 815.509, Government Code.