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.
NY16-23
TO: New York State Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2017 Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) Notice to Eligible Employees
DATE: October 25, 2016
Earlier this year, in our 2017 Option Transfer Communications plan memo (NY16-16), we noted that a decision about extending the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) through 2017 had not yet been finalized. We can now confirm that PEP will be available for employees of CSEA, DC-37, PEF, UUP, M/C, Legislature and UCS through 2017. Eligible employees will be mailed a notice about the availability of this benefit (see attached). Mail files were pulled from NYBEAS on October 24, 2016, and eligible employees will receive notice by the end of October. You will need to provide a copy of the notice to any eligible enrollees not on file by October 24. You may print your own or order copies of this notice via HBA Online at www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits/hba.
The PEP enrollment period for eligible employees will be November 1 through December 2, 2016. The Civil Service Attendance and Leave Unit will issue a Policy Bulletin shortly that will include information regarding PEP eligibility requirements and the calculation of PEP credit, a program description and a copy of the enrollment form.
For instructions on how to process a PEP enrollment and a breakdown of the PEP credit for eligible employees, refer to HBA memo NY16-24.
If you have additional questions, please contact the HBA Helpline at
518-474-2780. If you have questions about this mailing, please contact EBD Communications at 581-457-7577.