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.
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
COMMISSIONER
NY10-41
PE10-38
PA10-36
SEHP10-14
PAEX10-32
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators with The Empire Plan or The Excelsior Plan; Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators; NYS Agency Health Benefit Administrators Student Employee
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2010 Participating Provider Directories
DATE: October 22, 2010
2010 Participating Provider Directories
We are pleased to announce that the September 2010 Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories for Upstate and Downstate New York, Connecticut and New Jersey will be mailed to enrollees in late October - early November. All active enrollees and retirees living in New York who requested one of these directories by returning the postage paid postcard will be mailed a directory. Retirees living outside of New York will continue to receive a book based on their home zip code.
Directory Contents
The September 2010 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 Audiology Hearing Centers, Prosthetic/Orthotic Devices, Laboratories, Cardiac Rehabilitation Centers, Diabetes Education Centers, Outpatient Surgical Locations, Sleep Study 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 (Washington D.C. and adjacent states (Virginia/Maryland), Arizona, North Carolina/South Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, and New Jersey) plus one of the Downstate or Upstate versions – whichever one is not based on your agency location – as a resource; 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 at the same time that 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, easily searchable and customizable. 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 Quick Order packages (that contain a directory postcard to return if desired)
If you have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.