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
NY06-26
PE06-17
PA06-16
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators; Health Benefits Administrators of Participating Employers; Health Benefits Administrators of Participating Agencies
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Ordering 2006 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories
DATE: July 26, 2006
2006 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories
Because many enrollees prefer the frequently updated online Participating Provider Directory at www.cs.state.ny.us to the print version, directories will not be mailed automatically to the homes of actives in Upstate and Downstate New York this year. All Empire Plan active enrollees will receive a postcard at their homes in late August.
Actives may request a Directory by returning the postage-paid postcard, which will have a barcode with the enrollee’s address and code for the appropriate Directory embedded. The Directory will be mailed to the enrollee’s home within 10-12 weeks. If the enrollee does not return the card, no directory will be sent.
New Hires and Transfers
Until updated printed directories arrive, you may order them for new enrollees in several ways:
- HBA Online. Temporarily, you may order a Directory for your new enrollees who did not receive a postcard (files for address labels for the postcards were created July 21, 2006). This online feature will allow you to order a Directory for an individual; we will send it to the address you enter for the enrollee. Please note, this feature is not tied to NYBEAS. Your entry will not change information already in NYBEAS, and will be used only for the purpose of ordering a Directory. On the HBA Online homepage, select Publications Forms, then click the arrow below Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories Order Forms. Select Special Order Form for a New Enrollee.
- Blank Postcards. We are enclosing a supply of blank postcards to give to enrollees as we did last year. Please remind them to fill in their address on the lines provided. Or alternatively, you may choose to do this for the enrollee. While the postcards we mail to homes have the enrollee’s information embedded in it, the blank ones do not. Without an address filled in on the blank postcards, we will not be able to mail out a directory.
- Agency Supply. We will send a memo outlining agency distribution, and you will receive a supply of major directories. You may order more of those on the list - or any other directory available on HBA Online - by returning the attachment to the memo.
Returned Postcards
If we receive any, we will forward to you (with instructions) any postcards returned by the U.S. Post Office for incorrect addresses.
Retirees will receive their directories automatically.
NY/PE and PA retirees automatically will receive a Directory at their home address. When the 2006 directories are printed, we will send you a memo with additional information.
If you have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.
Thank you for your attention and assistance in this process.