Section 22:36 - Discrimination prohibited; health insurance coverage; fire employees; applicabilityA. A health insurance issuer shall not refuse to accept for enrollment any fire employee formerly employed by a municipality, parish, or fire protection district with which the health insurance issuer maintains a policy of group health insurance coverage, where such fire employee is no longer employed by the municipality, parish, or fire protection district as a result of retirement, and where such fire employee is not yet eligible for Medicare.B. A health insurance issuer shall not discriminate between an active fire employee and retired fire employee on the basis of an active or retired status.C.(1) This Section does not require a health insurance issuer to provide coverage for a retired fire employee under circumstances in which an active fire employee could lawfully be denied coverage nor requires a health insurance issuer to offer terms, rates, or benefits to a retired fire employee that it is not required to offer to an active fire employee.(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, this Section shall not be construed to require a municipality, parish, or fire protection district to offer health insurance coverage to early retiree fire employees, nor prohibit a municipality, parish, or fire protection district from offering health insurance coverage to only active fire employees, nor prohibit a health insurance issuer from offering coverage that complies with such eligibility decision of the municipality, parish, or fire protection district.D. As used in this Section, the term "fire employee" includes a retired employee of a fire protection district or of a municipal or parish fire department.