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.
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
COMMISSIONER
PA07-13
TO: Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP General Information Book and Empire Plan Certificate for Empire Plan Participating Agencies with CORE Plus Enhancements
DATE: July 9, 2007
New book/certificate for Participating Agencies with Empire Plan CORE Plus Enhancements
We are happy to announce that the 2007 NYSHIP General Information Book and Empire Plan Certificate for Empire Plan Participating Agencies with CORE Plus Enhancements is at the printer and will be mailed to enrollee homes in late July.
This book combines and replaces the two separate books for Empire Plan Participating Agencies with CORE Plus Enhancements that we published in 2000 and 2004 and all Empire Plan Reports and Certificate Amendments updating those books through January 1, 2007. Please remove those old materials from your shelves and recycle them when you receive your supplies of the new book.
Distribution
As we mail the new book to enrollees’ homes, we will send each Participating Agency with CORE Plus Enhancement benefits a supply equal to 5 percent of your enrollment. We drew labels from NYBEAS on June 28, 2007. Please be sure to give a copy of the book to each employee who enrolls in The Empire Plan after June 28th.
Reordering
To reorder this publication, please use the Publications Supply Request Form enclosed in your shipment carton. Or, instead of faxing the form you may order on HBA Online. From the homepage, open Publications and Forms, then open NYSHIP Publication Order Forms. If you need help accessing HBA Online, please call the Help Desk or your processor. Please wait until you receive your shipment of the new book [GIB-Empire Plan/PA-PLUS/2007] before you place an order.
Publications available on the Internet
Please check the web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. That means you can see the publications before employees start receiving them. To find the new book/certificate on the HBA Online web site, go to www.cs.state.ny.us and choose Benefit Programs from the left hand navigation, then HBA Online, then Publications and Forms. Or, go to the Department of Civil Service web site, www.cs.state.ny.us, and choose Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online and choose your group, if prompted, then Health Benefits.
If you have questions about this publication, please call the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577.