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Employee benefits are generally covered under the federal jurisdiction of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Federal ERISA plans generally do not have to comply with state laws. ERISA rules preempt or block state laws that relate to ERISA plans. State insurance laws, however, do apply. Under West Virginia law, employer contribution is required if the amount of insurance on any one employee is $1,000 or more (see below), the employer cannot be the beneficiary, the policy must cover ate least 10 persons, and has a grace period of 31 days.
The premium must be paid by the policyholder, either wholly from the employer's funds or funds contributed by him or partly from such funds and partly from funds contributed by the insured employees. No policy may be issued on which the entire premium is to be derived from funds contributed by the insured employees, except that the entire premium may be paid from funds contributed by the insured employees if the amount of insurance does not exceed $1,000 on the life of any employee. A policy on which part of the premium is to be derived from funds contributed by the insured employees may be placed in force only if at least 75 percent of the eligible employees elect to make the required contributions. A policy on which no part of the premium is to be derived from funds contributed by the insured employees must insure all eligible employees, or all except any as to whom evidence of individual insurability is not satisfactory to the insurer.
Contact
West Virginia Insurance Commission
Regulations
West Virginia Code
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm
Chapter 33 Insurance
Article 14 Group Life Insurance
§33-14-2 Employee groups
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=33&art=14§ion=2
Contact
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Regulations
29 CFR chapter XXV (Parts 2509 – 2590)