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.
DAVID A. PATERSON
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
NANCY G. GROENWEGEN
COMMISSIONER
PA09-23
TO: Participating Agency Chief Executive Officers & Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Robert W. DuBois, Director of the Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP Regional Meetings
DATE: August 27, 2009
We are pleased to announce the 2009 NYSHIP Regional Meetings for Participating Agencies. Staff of the Employee Benefits Division will present information about benefit and policy issues including recent State legislation affecting COBRA and the eligibility of adult children, as well as an update on current projects, including the Dependent Eligibility Verification Project. The agenda will also include 2009 Empire Plan financial experience and the latest information on projected rates for 2010. Additionally we will provide a review and update of NYBEAS.
You are invited to attend one of the following sessions:
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 -- 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn – Saratoga Springs (Saratoga County)
232 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 -
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 -- 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Comfort Inn (Rockland County)
425 E. Route 59
Nanuet, New York 10954 -
Thursday, October 22, 2009 -- 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Long Island (Suffolk County)
1717 Motor Parkway
Hauppauge, New York 11788
Note: Registration will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. for each session. Detailed directions to each meeting site will be provided with confirmation of your submitted registration form.
We hope that you will be able to attend one of the meeting sites listed above. There are two easy ways to register – Online or Fax. You may register online beginning September 1st. All reservations must be received by September 30th so that we may finalize luncheon arrangements and plan for adequate meeting materials.
Online Registration
Agencies with Access to HBA Online
You may submit reservations for yourself and/or on behalf of other agency representatives on the Department’s website at www.cs.state.ny.us:
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On the homepage, click on “Benefit Programs” on the navigation bar on the left of the screen.
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Select “HBA Online” on the resulting page.
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Sign on with your HBA Online User ID and password.
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Click on the red button, “Register Online Here for Fall 2009 Regional PA Meetings.” This will bring you to NYSHIP Regional Meetings for Participating Agencies. You will find all of the information needed to register for the meeting of your choice, directions and map links to meeting sites. After you have submitted your online registration, you may print a copy of the registration confirmation form for your records.
Important: If you are an HBA or otherwise have responsibility for benefit administration, we recommend you obtain an HBA Online User ID. See the instructions below. Please note: As we will be discussing at the meetings, EBD soon will stop mailing hardcopies of HBA memos – you will need HBA Online access to receive updated information. In addition, HBA Online provides you with easy access to NYSHIP information and features to assist you with your administrative duties.
To obtain an HBA Online User ID: Act Now! Please complete the attached Information Resource Management (IRM-302) form, and fax it to the NYS Department of Civil Service IRM Help Desk at (518) 485-5588 to request access. You will receive a User ID and a temporary password in the mail in approximately 10 business days. Please note that the form requires the signature of your Agency Data Access Officer. If you are not sure who that is, the Department of Civil Service Help Desk will be happy to provide you with that information.
Agencies and Organizations without Access to HBA Online
You may register here: www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd/welcome/pa-regional-meeting.cfm
Fax Registration
Please complete the enclosed reservation form and fax to (518) 473-3292,
Attn: Debbie D’Orazio.
Please do not submit your registration form more than once or via more than one method (e.g. online and fax). Please call (518) 485-1771 if you have any questions regarding the registration process, or to confirm receipt of your registration form.
Enclosures
2009
PARTICIPATING AGENCY REGIONAL MEETINGS
RESERVATION FORM
Please use page 3 of the PDF Version of this memo to complete.
(Use for FAX registrations only – please do not submit if you have registered online.)