Department of Civil Service

NY11-37

TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2011, September 2011 Empire Plan Special Report and NYSHIP HMO Special Report for Judges, Justices, Employees Represented by CSEA and Unrepresented Employees of the Unified Court System (UCS)
DATE: September 28, 2011

We will soon mail NYSHIP Rate Changes Effective October 1, 2011 [CT0155] the September 2011 Empire Plan Special Report [CT0153] and NYSHIP HMO Special Report [CT0154] for Judges, Justices, Employees Represented by CSEA and Unrepresented Employees of the Unified Court System (UCS). These publications describe the changes affecting NYSHIP coverage effective October 1, 2011, except as noted, as a result of collective bargaining that have been extended to UCS employees as permitted under Civil Service Law. As a result of these changes, there will be a Special Option Transfer Period from September 29-October 31, 2011. You will receive a memo from the Division 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 memo NY11-36.

The NYSHIP Rate Changes flyer includes:
New rates for October 1, 2011*; the Special Option Transfer Deadline (October 31) and payroll deduction dates.

*Due to the timing of the approval to extend the terms of a union agreement to unrepresented State employees and retirees and the terms of the recent collective bargaining agreement with the State and Civil Service Employees Association, the health insurance premium rates for certain UCS enrollees will change for payroll periods inclusive of a November 1, 2011 coverage date. The new premium rate includes the cost of the plan changes and the contribution rate increase effective October 1, 2011 which have been factored into the rate change and will be collected during the remaining pay periods for the 2011 plan year.

The Empire Plan Special Report includes:
Changes Effective October 1, 2011; NYSHIP Changes; Empire Plan Preventive Care Coverage chart (insert); The Empire Plan Flexible Formulary (insert); Federal Health Care Changes and October 1, 2011 Benefit Changes.

The NYSHIP HMO Special Report includes:
Changes Effective October 1, 2011 and NYSHIP Changes.

Distribution of Reports
Each publication will be mailed to enrollee homes on September 30. We will send you a supply of each publication equal to 1 percent of your NYSHIP enrollment at the same time. The Empire Plan Preventive Care Coverage chart was sent to many agencies in August. If you did not receive a supply or need to replenish it, please order item [AL1099] on HBA Online. Copies of the Flexible Formulary [AL1041] can also be ordered online.

Mail files for these publications were pulled from NYBEAS on September 22. Any enrollee not on the file will NOT receive the mailings. You may, however, order a Quick Order (QO) Package on HBA Online for a new hire as it will include these publications. Otherwise, you should include a copy of each publication in the package of information you give to new hires.

Publications available on our web site: https://www.cs.ny.gov
Please check our web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. That means you can see the publications before enrollees start receiving them.

Ordering Publications
To order additional copies of these publications during the Special Option Transfer Period, please use the Special Order Form enclosed with the dropshipment of the NYSHIP Rate Changes flyer and fax it to the Communications Unit at (315) 272-2444. For orders after the Special Option Transfer Period, go to HBA Online and select Publications & Forms to order online.

If you are unsure how to order publications or have questions about the distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.