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
PA97-21
TO: Participating Agency Chief Executive Officers and Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Change in Health Insurance Eligibility for Non-Members of a Retirement System
DATE: December 17, 1997
A change in the Civil Service regulations {Section 73.1(e)(2) of Part 73 of Chapter v} effective September 24, 1994 affects employees who are not members of a retirement system administered by New York State.
Previously, employees who are not members of a retirement system and who were hired on or after September 1, 1983 had to be age 62 to be eligible to continue health insurance in retirement. The regulation change eliminates this restriction. It states that to be eligible to continue health insurance in retirement, the employee must meet the age requirements "as would have been required to retire as a member of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System." Therefore, the age 62 requirement for employees hired on or after September 1, 1983, as stated in the Manual for Participating Agencies, specifically Section 245 item 1b(2), has been changed to age 55 to conform to the changes made by the Employees Retirement System.
Please note this change in your Manual (Revised 4/1/91). The other information in Section 245 remains unchanged. Contact the Participating Agency Unit at 518-485-6619 if you have questions about this regulation change.