It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that persons covered by a group policy, who become ineligible for that coverage have access to benefits pursuant to this part by requiring employers, employee organizations, and other entities that provide that coverage to their employees or members to also make available conversion policies for those persons and to ensure that insurers as herein defined offer conversion policies. The conversion policy shall be the most popular preferred provider organization product offered to residents of this state under the provisions of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. In addition, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the continuation of group health coverage by requiring the entities herein defined to make available continuation benefits for widows, widowers, divorced spouses, and dependents who were covered by the group policy on the date of termination of coverage.