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
JOHN F. BARR
EXECUTIVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
NY04-25
PE04-24
PA04-20
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Multiplan Postcard with Stickers
DATE: November 19, 2004
MultiPlan postcards with stickers for your agency
In late September, UnitedHealthcare sent postcards to Empire Plan enrollees informing them of The Empire Plan Basic Medical Provider Discount Program. The Program offers discounts from certain physicians and providers who are part of The Multiplan group. MultiPlan has more than 200,000 physicians and other health care professionals nationwide as part of their practitioner panel.
The postcard had MultiPlan stickers to be placed on enrollees’ New York State Government Employee Benefit cards. Many agency Health Benefits Administrators (HBAs) have asked for additional stickers for those enrollees who need extras or for new hires. We are sending you a small supply and putting the cards on the Publications Supply Request form so you may order as many as you need either online or by fax.
Please be sure your employees have this benefit before you give them this sticker postcard. Beginning October 1, 2004 the following groups were eligible to use the Basic Medical Provider Discount Program:
- CSEA
- UUP
- M/C
- Retirees
- Unified Court System (except NYS Supreme Court Officers Association)
- PEF
- DC37
Empire Plan Basic Medical Program provisions apply. Empire Plan enrollees must meet the annual deductible.
Providers in The Empire Plan Basic Medical Provider Discount Program accept a discounted fee for covered services. The enrollee will not be billed for charges over the discounted fee. The 20 percent coinsurance is based on the discounted fee, not the reasonable and customary charges as under the Basic Medical Program. The enrollee will not need to file a claim form as the provider will submit the claims and UnitedHealthcare will pay the provider directly.
The New York State Department of Civil Service website, www.cs.state.ny.us, provides a listing of MultiPlan providers. Select Employee Benefits, then Empire Plan Providers and Pharmacies and choose the group.
Please note that the MultiPlan sticker will only be necessary until new Empire Plan ID cards are issued during the first quarter of 2005. The new card, which will include an alternate ID number, will incorporate the MultiPlan logo. Please consider this fact in placing orders for additional inventory of the postcard/stickers.
If you have questions about the distribution of the postcard with stickers, please call EBD Communications at (518) 457-7577. If you or your employees have questions about the MultiPlan provider program, please call toll-free 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) and choose UnitedHealthcare.