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
NY10-27
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2010 flyers
DATE: July 23, 2010
As the result of 2010-2011 Emergency Budget legislation passed on June 7, 2010, there will be a NYSHIP rate change for State enrollees effective October 1. There also will be a Special Option Transfer Period during the month of August. You will receive a memo from the Division early next week that provides complete details for Health Benefits Administrators regarding the rate change and how the Special Option Transfer Period will be administered. Please hold any questions you may have about the rate change and option transfer until you have received and carefully reviewed the second memo.
Distribution of the Rate Changes Flye
A six-page rate flyer, NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2010 [NY0883], will be mailed first class to active enrollee homes in early August. This rate flyer provides the new rates for 2010, the August 31 deadline for option changes during the Special Option Transfer Period (see memo NY10-28 for details) and other important dates, such as payroll deduction dates. We will send you a supply equal to 2 percent of your NYSHIP enrollment at the same time.
An eight-page rate flyer, NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2010 [AL1029], will be mailed first class to the homes of enrollees with retiree benefits in early August. This rate flyer provides rates for each health insurance option for State agency retirees, the August 31 deadline for option changes and a tear-off Option Transfer Request form. We will send you a supply equal to 2 percent of your NYSHIP enrollment at the same time.
Mail files for both publications will be pulled from NYBEAS on July 22. Any new enrollee or new retiree not on the file will NOT receive this mailing. You may, however, order a Quick Order Package on HBA Online for a new hire or new retiree as the NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2010 flyers will be included in these packages. Alternatively, you should be sure to provide a copy of this flyer to all new hires and new retirees.
Information on the Web
All Option Transfer publications, including the revised rate flyers and a comparison chart of old and new rates for active enrollees, will be available on the Department of Civil Service web site at https://www.cs.ny.gov as soon as we sign off for printing. To view the latest Option Transfer information available, go to https://www.cs.ny.gov, click on Benefit Programs, then on NYSHIP Online. Select the group if prompted, and then click on Health Benefits & Option Transfer. Choose Rates and Health Plan Choices.
This information will also be available on the Employee Benefits’ administrative web site, HBA Online, https://www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits/hba. Select Health Plan Choices on the home page to go to Option Transfer information. Note: This site continues to be your best option if you need to check benefit information for different groups frequently.
To order health benefits materials: A Special Order Form for Option Transfer publications is attached so that you may order additional materials during the Special Option Transfer Period. Fax us the Special Order Form that is attached to this memo, but please do not order the active or retiree versions of the NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2010 flyer until you have received your shipment.
For details about this distribution, contact the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577 or FAX (518) 402-4697. Please contact your processor for details about the Special Option Transfer Period and for transaction information.