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
NY09-40
SEHP09-15
TO: New York State Health Benefit Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Paper Saving Initiatives -- HBA Memos and Order Forms Moving to Online Only
DATE: August 12, 2009
In order to comply with Governor Paterson’s recent cost savings initiative regarding printing and paper, the Employee Benefits Division is implementing a number of administrative changes that will impact your day-to-day work.
HBA Memos
Effective immediately, EBD will no longer mail hard copies of HBA memos to NYS agencies (this is the last hard copy you will receive). Instead, you will receive a NYBEAS System Announcement whenever a new HBA memo has been issued An electronic version of each HBA memo will be immediately available on HBA Online, our password protected administrative web site for HBAs.
If you do not have access to HBA Online or have forgotten your user ID and/or password, see the instructions at the end of this memo.
Publication Orders
Online publication ordering at HBA Online (www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd) has been available since March 2001. Some features, such as the Quick Order packages for New Hires or New Retirees were introduced in August 2008 and are only available as an online option.
Effective August 2009, EBD Communications will no longer include updated Publications Supply Request Order forms in the drop shipments mailed to agencies. Up-to-date order forms are available on HBA Online. Please be sure to select the form for the group for which you are ordering materials. You may place your publication orders online (and receive an estimated shipment date) or by print and fax the appropriate order form to (315) 272-2444.
If you have been using the online ordering system - thank you!
New Publication Drop Shipments
EBD Communications will continue to ship bulk deliveries of new publications (“drop shipments”) to agencies with an enclosure that explains the publication and references the HBA memo, if applicable. As agency use of our Quick Order packages for New Hires and New Retirees grows, the percentage of publications for agency use will be reduced, resulting in additional cost savings. If you have not taken advantage of this new service yet, please take some time in the near future to familiarize yourself with its ease or call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577 for assistance with doing so.
HBA Online Access
If you are registered for HBA Online but have forgotten your user ID and/or password please contact the Department of Civil Service Help Desk at 1-800-HBA-EMS1 (800-422-3671). Please be prepared to leave your name, agency information and phone number so our Helpdesk personnel may call you back.
If you are not currently registered for HBA Online, please complete and submit the attached form. Our Help Desk will provide you with a user ID and password, so you can access the website and keep up-to-date with EBD news, information and important publications. A new form for HBA Online access will soon be available online on the Department of Civil Service website.
If your agency has no access to the Internet, please call EBD Communications at 518-457-7577 so we can assist you in continuing to receive the materials you need.