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
DANIEL E. WALL
EXECUTIVE
DEPUTY COMISSIONER
PA97-16
TO: Participating Agency Chief Executive Officers and Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Communications Update
DATE: November 3, 1997
This is to alert you to the many things that are going on at this busy time of the year. Option Transfer Period is approaching, and we would like to remind you that you may order the following publications for employees who would like information about Empire Plan benefits:
- Empire Plan flyer for enrollees (PA-OT-96)
- The Empire Plan At a Glance
(SB-PA Core Only- 12/96), (SB-PA Med- 12/96), (SB-PA-Med-Psych- 12/96)
Also, there will be a new Participating Provider Directory. One to 10 copies, based on your enrollment, will be shipped to you for your use in late November. The directory is for use as an agency reference, not for distribution to enrollees. The directory will list medical and Managed Physical Medicine Program providers along with Ambulatory Surgical Centers and Laboratories. These directories will be listed on a new Publications Supply Request form which you will receive with a memo.
As a reminder, the Participating Provider Directory appears on the NYS Department of Civil Service Employee Benefits Division Home Page. Open Web site http://www.cs.state.ny.us on your World Wide Web browser, click on Employee Benefits and follow instructions.
In November your retirees and dependent survivors will be receiving in their mailboxes a NYSHIP Special Report on the Empire Plan and Medicare Risk HMOs. Additionally, you will be receiving copies equal to 10 percent of your enrollment and a new Publications Supply Request Form to enable you to order more copies as needed.
UnitedHealthcare (formerly MetraHealth) has recently improved their telephone system. It is scheduled to go into place on November 1, 1997. A forthcoming Empire Plan Report will explain this system in detail.