Department of Civil Service

NY06-40

TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators of State Agencies with Employees Represented by ALESU
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Empire Plan Report, Reporting On The Empire Plan Centers of Excellence, Copayment Cards
DATE: November 1, 2006

Mailings to Employees Represented by Council 82 in the ALES Unit who are subject to the June 9, 2006 binding arbitration award

We will soon mail the October 2006 Empire Plan Report to employees represented by Council 82 in the ALES Unit who are subject to the June 9, 2006 binding arbitration award. The September 2005 Reporting On Centers of Excellence and current Empire Plan copayment cards for this group are included within the Report. (NOTE: ALESU enrollees will receive a new copayment card for 1/1/07 with their 2007 At A Glance publication in December.)

The October 2006 Empire Plan Report includes:

Empire Plan Benefit Changes

Hospital Benefits Program: Network/Non-network Hospitals, Copayments, Hospital Extension Clinics; Benefits Management Program: Hospital Coverage; Medical/Surgical Benefits Program: Copayment, Radiology, Anesthesiology, Pathology, Prostheses and Orthotic Devices, External Mastectomy Prostheses, Hearing Aids, Basic Medical Provider Discount Program, Centers of Excellence for Cancer Program; Infertility Benefits Maximum; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program: Copayments, Substance Abuse Lifetime Maximum; Prescription Drug Program: Copayments, Mandatory Generic Substitution

New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) Change

Domestic Partner Eligibility

Empire Plan News and Reminders

Guaranteed Access to Network Benefits, NYSHIP Online

Reporting On The Empire Plan Centers of Excellence

This publication describes the benefits of Empire Plan Centers of Excellence for cancer, transplants and infertility.

Empire Plan Copayment Cards

Empire Plan copayment cards offer an easy reference for network provider services.

Distribution of Reports

These publications will be mailed to enrollee homes in November. We will send you a supply of each publication equal to 3 percent of your Empire Plan ALESU-settled enrollment.

The Empire Plan Report and Reporting On Centers of Excellence available on our web site: www.cs.state.ny.us

Please check this web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. That means you can see the publications before enrollees start receiving them.

Ordering Publications

You may order additional copies of the Report, including Reporting On Centers of Excellence and Copayment Cards by using the Publications Supply Order Forms enclosed with your shipment. Or, instead of faxing the form, you may order on HBA Online (formerly known as ebd_online). From the Department of Civil Service homepage, www.cs.state.ny.us, select the Benefits Programs button from the left hand navigation. Then click on HBA Online. Open Publications & Forms, then open NYSHIP Publication Order Forms. If you need help accessing HBA Online, please call the Help Desk or your processor.

If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.