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.
NY15-15
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP General Information Book for NY Retiree Groups (Empire and HMO)
DATE: July 23, 2015
We are pleased to announce that a revised NYSHIP General Information Book (GIB) for all NYS Retirees, Vestees, Dependent Survivors, and enrollees covered under Preferred List provisions for health insurance is on its way to enrollee homes and NYS agencies.
A Single Book!
In a departure from past practices, this publication applies to both Empire Plan and HMO enrollees. It completely replaces the General Information Book for HMO enrollees and will partially replace the General Information Book/Empire Plan Certificate for Empire Plan enrollees (see attached list for specific publications that should be recycled). We believe this initiative will simplify our NYSHIP materials for both enrollees and HBAs and significantly reduce costs. An updated Empire Plan Certificate for retirees and other non-active enrollees is under development and will be reissued in the near future. NOTE: The back cover of the version that is being mailed to Empire Plan enrollees instructs them to keep the new GIB with their existing General Information Book/Certificate until they receive their new Empire Plan Certificate.
The General Information Book contains information regarding NYSHIP eligibility rules, enrollment options, requirements and costs. Provisions are generally the same for all inactive NYS enrollee groups; however where there are exceptions the differences are called out in the text. This reissuance represents the most substantial revision to the GIB undertaken in fifteen years, so we highly recommend that all HBAs take the opportunity to review it upon receipt.
Distribution
We will send you a supply of five copies of the General Information Book for your use. This publication will begin mailing to enrollee homes in late July. Mail files were pulled from NYBEAS on July 14, 2015. Any enrollee not on the file as of that date will not receive this mailing. You may, however, order a copy on HBA Online for any enrollee. Otherwise, you should provide a copy of the new GIB to any new retiree or those who otherwise separate from service with NYS.
Publications Available on Our Web Site: www.cs.ny.gov
Please check our web site for new publications. Publications are available under the tab Publications & Forms. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing.
Ordering Publications
You may order additional copies of this General Information Book [AL0971/NY Retiree GIB 2015] on HBA Online under Publications & Forms. Please wait until you receive your shipment of the new publication before you place an order.
If you need help accessing HBA Online, email the AGS-ITS Enterprise Service Desk at its.sm.esd.ags@its.ny.gov. Call the EBD HBA Help Line at 518-474-2780 with questions regarding benefits. If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the EBD Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.