A. Participating employees enrolled in a health insurance plan established pursuant to § 2.2-2818 shall continue to be covered during periods of short-term disability and shall have the option of continuing to be covered by such plan during periods of absence covered by long-term disability benefits.
B. The Commonwealth shall pay the employer’s share of the cost of health insurance coverage under such plan for participating employees and for the families or dependents of such employees during periods the employee is receiving short-term disability benefits to the same extent as for other state employees covered by such plan.
C. Participating employees enrolled in such plan established pursuant to § 2.2-2818 shall have the option of continuing to be covered under such plan, and shall pay the full cost for coverage under such plan for themselves and for their families and dependents during periods the employee is receiving long-term disability benefits. However, for an employee as defined in § 51.1-201 who is receiving long-term disability benefits for a work-related disability pursuant to Article 4 (§ 51.1-1119 et seq.) of Chapter 11, the Commonwealth shall continue to pay the employer’s share of the cost of health insurance coverage under such plan for the participating employee and for his family and dependents until such time as the employee is approved for continued health insurance coverage as provided under Chapter 4 (§ 9.1-400 et seq.) of Title 9.1.