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.
ANDREW M. CUOMO
Governor
LOLA W. BRABHAM
Acting Commissioner
NY18-15
PE18-07
PA18-05
SEHP18-05
PAEX18-05
TO: All Health Benefits Administrators (HBAs)
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2018 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directory (PPD) Postcards and Directories
DATE: June 29, 2018
Empire Plan Participating Provider Directory Postcards
We are distributing PPD postcards to all Empire Plan enrollees across the United States and Puerto Rico to meet our mandate of making directories available to all enrollees. Postcards were mailed between June 18-26, 2018. Last year we received over 85,000 book orders in five weeks.
While we encourage the use of the online Find a Provider search tool that is updated frequently, enrollees have three options for obtaining Empire Plan participating provider information:
• Use the Find a Provider search tool at NYSHIP Online: www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits
• Call The Empire Plan at 1-877-7-NYSHIP and select the appropriate program administrator
• Return the reply postcard (with a stamp) to request a directory
Versions for 2018
On the postcard, enrollees are offered check boxes to select a directory based on their home ZIP Code or they may print the name of another version. Once again this year, the New York and Florida directories are divided into separate books (see attachment) due to size. (Note: The September 2017 Empire Plan Report contained an article and map explaining these split versions.) If the enrollee would like to order any of these directories, we request that the county or counties where they are or will be seeking services be listed so the correct version can be mailed. New for this year, Virginia has been separated from the Washington DC and Maryland book due to an increase in page count. In compliance with State law, languages spoken by providers and/or their staff and provider hospital affiliations are listed for the New York directories only.
Directory Distribution
The 2018 PPDs for New York will begin to mail to the homes of those who request them in July. PPDs for Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Northern Florida, South Carolina, Southern Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington DC/Maryland and Virginia will follow in August and September. The remaining out-of-state versions are currently scheduled to mail in September and October.
We will send you one directory based on your agency location. In response to feedback from HBAs, we will no longer mail other versions to you automatically. If you would like to have reference copies for your agency, please order them on HBA Online. On the forms and publications page, the directory order form is located at the top of the page. We will add versions to the order form as they are printed and available in inventory.
Quick Order Packages
A PPD postcard is also included in the Quick Order packages that you may order on HBA Online for your new hires or new retirees. If you need help accessing HBA Online, contact the ITS Service Desk at 844-891-1786, fixit@its.ny.gov or via chat at https://chat.its.ny.gov.
If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the EBD Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.
Attachment