The Empire Plan is a unique health insurance plan designed especially for public employees in New York State. Empire Plan benefits include inpatient and outpatient hospital coverage, medical/surgical coverage, Centers of Excellence for transplants, infertility and cancer, home care services, equipment and supplies, mental health and substance abuse coverage and prescription drug coverage.
ELIOT SPITZER
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
NANCY G. GROENWEGEN
ACTING COMMISSIONER
PA07-04
TO: Participating Agency Health Benefit Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Mailing of Timothy's Law Notice
DATE: February 27, 2007
For your information, attached is a notice being sent to all Empire Plan enrollees regarding the benefits available to them under the newly enacted Timothy's Law. GHI expects to begin mailing the notices on February 28th. Additionally, all NYSHIP HMOs are mailing a similar notice as they are mandated to do by the State Insurance Department as the first step in complying with Timothy’s Law.
Timothy's Law mandates a minimum level of mental health benefits and benefit parity for select diagnoses. Although for the most part, the network level benefits provided by the Empire Plan’s Managed Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program already meet or exceed the requirements of Timothy’s Law, we are currently conducting a complete review of the law and the Plan’s compliance with its requirements. Should any benefit changes be required, they will be retroactive to January 1, 2007. We will keep you informed as this review process continues, and amended plan documents and certificates will be issued as soon as possible.
Please direct any employees with questions regarding Timothy's Law benefits to ValueOptions by calling the Empire Plan Information Center at 1-877-7NYSHIP and selecting option #3.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and assistance.