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.
GEORGE E. PATAKI
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
DANIEL E. WALL
COMMISSIONER
JOHN F. BARR
EXECUTIVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
NY06-27
PE06-18
PA06-17
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2006 Participating Provider Directories
DATE: September 15, 2006
2006 Participating Provider Directories
We are pleased to announce that the October 2006 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories for Arizona, Florida, North and South Carolina and Out-of-State will be mailed to enrollees beginning in October. Upstate and Downstate New York Directories will also begin to be mailed to active enrollees who requested it and all retirees in October.
We will send a supply, equal to 2 percent of your enrollment, of either the Upstate or Downstate directory depending on the region in which your agency is located. You will also receive one copy of the Arizona, Florida and North and South Carolina directories. The remaining Out-of-State directories will be sent to you upon request. Please recycle your existing supply and replace it with the new shipment. Please reorder only after you receive your initial supply.
To find the most current listing of providers, visit the Employee Benefits Division’s portion of the New York State Department of Civil Service web site, NYSHIP Online, at www.cs.state.ny.us. From the home page, click on Benefit Programs, then on NYSHIP Online. Select your group, if prompted, and click on Find a Provider. If you or an enrollee has questions about providers, please call The Empire Plan toll-free at 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) and choose Empire BlueCross BlueShield for hospitals, hospice care and skilled nursing facilities; UnitedHealthcare for medical/surgical and MPN providers or ValueOptions for mental health/substance abuse providers.
Directory Contents
The October 2006 directories list BlueCross BlueShield Network Facilities, Empire Plan Participating Providers in the Medical/Surgical Program, the Empire Plan Managed Physical Medicine Program and the Empire Plan Mental Health/Substance Abuse Program, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Laboratories, Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers, Urgent Care Centers and providers of Prostheses/Orthotic Devices.
Distribution/Agency Orders-Details
To reorder these publications, please use the Publications Supply Request Form enclosed in your shipment carton. You may also order Participating Provider Directories on HBA Online (formerly ebd_online). Click on Publications & Forms, find “The Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories Order Forms” and click on the arrow next to “Display the forms.” This will allow you to order online or print a copy of the Participating Provider Directories Order Form.
Please order directories only as needed for enrollees:
- who are moving
- who are traveling
- who retire
- with dependents away from home, such as college students
Visit NYSHIP Online and HBA Online for updated provider information. Providers change and the web sites are updated weekly.
If you have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.