Department of Civil Service

NY07-11

TO: State Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: My New York State Health Insurance Program (MyNYSHIP)
DATE: March 12, 2007

About MyNYSHIP

My New York State Health Insurance Program (MyNYSHIP) is a web-based application through which employees can view their own New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) enrollment record and perform certain transactions that affect their enrollment record. While MyNYSHIP was initially launched in January 2007, communication to enrollees regarding its availability has been limited. In the coming months, a supply of MyNYSHIP announcements will be sent to agency payroll offices for distribution with employee paychecks.

Who has access to MyNYSHIP?

MyNYSHIP is currently only available to active employees of New York State agencies. However, if an active employee registers for MyNYSHIP and subsequently retires or moves into another status under NYSHIP, their access will not be revoked. Other populations will be granted access in the future, at which time we will send out notification.

What is available to employees through MyNYSHIP?

Currently through MyNYSHIP, employees can:

• View their enrollment in NYSHIP and the New York State Dental and Vision Plans
• Submit Address Changes to NYSHIP
• Order ID Cards if enrolled in The Empire Plan

Are transactions submitted through MyNYSHIP processed any differently than if processed directly through NYBEAS?

No. Once a transaction is submitted through MyNYSHIP it is processed directly against NYBEAS and subject to the same edits and processing rules as those done directly through NYBEAS. Transactions will be reflected in NYBEAS as they are when processed by an HBA except that the ‘User ID’ will reflect that it was done through self-service.

New Worklist for Address Changes through MyNYSHIP

To address concerns that HBAs and/or other personnel office staff might need to be aware, for purposes other than health insurance, when an employee changes their address, we have created a worklist to notify HBAs when an address change has been submitted through MyNYSHIP. This worklist is informational only and does not require action on your part in NYBEAS. Selecting an item on the worklist will open up the Administer NYBEAS Updates > Use > Personal/Employment panel in NYBEAS.

This Worklist is titled as follows:

Registration for MyNYSHIP

While an employee’s registration will typically not require any involvement by HBAs, we will direct employees to their HBA to verify the accuracy of their NYBEAS record if they are having difficulty registering due to conflicting data. Therefore, we describe the registration process below to give you as much information as possible should your involvement be requested.

Accessing MyNYSHIP

MyNYSHIP can currently be accessed one of two ways:

• Visit the Civil Service web site (www.cs.state.ny.us), Select Benefit Programs, NYSHIP Online, then select MyNYSHIP – Employee Self-Service

or

• Go directly to www.cs.state.ny.us/mynyship

Civil Service ID

Registration for MyNYSHIP requires a Civil Service ID. This Civil Service ID is the same ID that is used to sign up for State exams, view Battery Exam scores, and log into our HBA Online web site. Therefore, some may already have a Civil Service ID while some may not. The MyNYSHIP registration process offers the opportunity to request a Civil Service ID if none exists for the individual.

Verification of Enrollee Data against NYBEAS

Once through the Civil Service ID / Password process, employees will be asked to enter four data elements that will then be compared against NYBEAS: Last Name, Social Security #, Date of Birth and Zip Code. If there are discrepancies between what the employee entered and what is in NYBEAS, we direct them to contact their HBA, with the Error Code received, to verify the accuracy of their enrollment record. A ‘MyNYSHIP Error Codes’ table has been built into NYBEAS which details exactly which data elements did not match. The path to access this table through NYBEAS is:

Home » Compensate Employees » Administer NYBEAS Updates » Inquire » MyNYSHIP Error Codes

Once any necessary corrections are made in NYBEAS, the employee should return to the MyNYSHIP registration process.

View Only Access versus View / Update Access

If all data entered by the individual matches NYBEAS, View Only access will be granted immediately. View Only Access permits employees to view their enrollment record and current address, however submitting any transactions requires an Activation Code.

Activation Codes

As an added measure of security, we will not allow any transactions to be processed through MyNYSHIP until the employee enters an Activation Code (a one-time only entry is required) that is mailed to the home address contained in their NYBEAS record. The employee can request this Activation Code at the time of registration. If the address in NYBEAS is not the most current, the employee will be directed to change their address through their HBA and can then return to MyNYSHIP to request an Activation Code at any time. Once the Activation Code is received, the employee will return to MyNYSHIP, enter the Activation Code, and will be granted View / Update Access.

Future MyNYSHIP Changes

As MyNYSHIP is further developed, access will be granted to other populations (i.e. retirees, dependent survivors) and additional functionality will be incorporated. By the end of this year, active State employees will be able to submit plan changes during the annual Option Transfer period, and new employees will be able to enroll in benefits through MyNYSHIP. More transactions based on life events will be incorporated in future years, such as changes in coverage due to marriage, divorce, or birth of a child.

We will keep you informed as these changes are implemented.