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
NY08-18
PE08-13
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: July 2008 Empire Plan Reports and NYSHIP General Information Book/Empire Plan Certificate Amendments
DATE: June 16, 2008
We will soon mail the July 2008 Empire Plan Reports and NYSHIP General Information Book/Empire Plan Certificate Amendments to the following groups: CSEA, DC-37, MC, PE, PEF, Retiree, UCS and UUP.
The Empire Plan Report includes:
Empire Plan Benefits
Medical/Surgical Benefits Program: $30 Copayment for Non-Hospital Outpatient Surgical Locations, Herpes Zoster Vaccine for Shingles, Prosthetic Wig Benefit, Participating Diabetes Education Centers and Diabetic Shoes, Empire Plan Prescription Drug Program: Non-Preferred Copayment Increases, Centers of Excellence for Transplants and Cancer, Kidney Resource Services Program, Benefit Management Program: Prospective Procedure Review
New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) Changes
Leaving School Before Graduation and Workers’ Compensation (except PE, Retiree and UUP)
NYSHIP General Information Book Changes
Leaving School Before Graduation, When Your Family Coverage Begins and Workers’ Compensation
Empire Plan Certificate Amendments
Benefits Management Program: Benefits Management, Prospective Procedure Review and Benefits Management Program; Hospital Benefits Program: Outpatient MRI, MRA, CT, CAT, PET, and Nuclear Medicine tests, Skilled Nursing Facility Care and Transplant Programs; Medical/Surgical Benefits Program: Outpatient MRI, MRA, CT, CAT, PET, and Nuclear Medicine tests, Adult Immunizations, Outpatient Surgical Locations, Diabetes Education Centers, Prosthetic Wigs, Diabetes Education Centers, Prospective Procedure Review, Diabetic Shoes and Cancer Program; Prescription Drug Benefits Program: Copayments
Distribution of Reports
These publications will be mailed to enrollee homes in June 2008. We will send you a supply of each publication equal to 3 percent of your affected enrollment.
Publications 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 Reports, including Amendments, by using the Publications Supply Order Forms enclosed with your shipment. Or, instead of faxing the form, you may order on HBA Online. From the Department of Civil Service homepage, www.cs.state.ny.us, select the Benefit 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.