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.
DAVID A. PATERSON
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
NANCY G. GROENWEGEN
COMMISSIONER
NY08-21
PE08-17
PA08-12
TO: New York State Health Benefits AdministratorsParticipating Agency Health Benefits AdministratorsParticipating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division (EBD)
SUBJECT: 2008 Participating Provider Directories
DATE: July 28, 2008
2008 Participating Provider Directories
We are pleased to announce that the July 2008 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories for Upstate and Downstate New York, Connecticut and New Jersey will be mailed to active enrollees by the end of July. (Connecticut and New Jersey are now separate books.) All active enrollees who requested one of these directories by returning the postage paid postcard, and all retirees who automatically receive one of these books, will receive their books by the end of July.
Directory Contents
The July 2008 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, providers of Prosthetic/Orthotic Devices, Laboratories, Outpatient Surgical Locations, Diabetes Centers, Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers and Urgent Care Centers.
Distribution
We will send an agency supply (equal to 2 percent of your enrollment), of the Upstate or Downstate directory (whichever is appropriate for your agency). We will mail you one copy of the six big out-of-state directories plus one of the Downstate or Upstate - whichever one is not your agency location - as a resource: Washington D.C. and adjacent states (Virginia/Maryland), Arizona, North Carolina/South Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, and New Jersey This one copy will be sent to the agency using the same mail file used to send directories to your enrollees’ homes. This will save distribution costs as well as speed up delivery. The one copy will be addressed to you and you will receive it as your enrollees are receiving their copies at home.
Online Directory Resources and New Hire and New Retiree Packages
We encourage you and your enrollees to use the online Participating Provider search as it is updated weekly and easily searchable. But for those who do want the printed directory, it is available in many ways:
- We give you a small amount of agency surplus
- You can order additional copies all year long
- You can order online for an individual or New Hire or New Retiree* packages
*When you order a New Hire or New Retiree package, we enclose a postage paid postcard in every Empire Plan packet of materials, so the enrollee may self-order a directory. For PA’s the package is the same with both active and retiree materials enclosed. Please see Memos NY08-19, PE08-15 and PA08-11.
If you have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.