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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.

New York State of Opportunity

ANDREW M. CUOMO
Governor
LOLA W. BRABHAM
Acting Commissioner

PE18-02

TO: Participating Employer Chief Executive Officers and Health Benefit Administrators
FROM: James DeWan, Director of the Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Empire Plan Quarterly Experience Report
DATE: April 18, 2018

Attached is the Empire Plan Fourth Quarter Experience Report for 2017.  This report presents the projected 2017 Empire Plan experience, based on claims paid through December 31, 2017 and the projected 2019 premium rates. For the 2017 Plan Year, the Empire Plan vendors project a net surplus of $258.1 million, or 3.1% of premium.  The underlying causes for the projected surplus are discussed in the report. 

Exhibit II presents the projected 2019 Empire Plan premium rates. These projections include a tentative dividend application amount of $175 million, which represents an application of $105 million more than the dividend credit included in the 2018 rates. The “best estimate” projected net premium increase for 2019 is 7.5%, in aggregate, for The Empire Plan. These projections are based on a number of assumptions made by the vendors and the Department, and include a projected aggregate claims trend of approximately 9.0%. These assumptions are likely to change prior to the development of the final 2019 premium rates. 

Given the ongoing fiscal challenges faced by the State and the NYSHIP participating employers, our continuing goal is to achieve 2019 NYSHIP rates that are as low as possible while promoting rate stability for the near future. The 2019 premium rate development and related proceedings will begin in September.  

I hope this report is informative.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.