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
NY12-31
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Communications Plan: Option Transfer Period for 2013
DATE: October 29, 2012
We are pleased to announce the communications schedule for this year's Option Transfer (OT) Period. Please refer to the upcoming Annual OT memo for transactions and other option transfer items.
During the Option Transfer Period, some benefit information will vary depending on the employee's group. Unrepresented groups and groups that have agreements/awards with New York State will receive settled benefit information. Groups that do not have agreements/awards with New York State will receive unsettled benefit information.
As of the date of this memo, the following groups should receive settled benefit information:
- APSU represented by PBANYS;
- Council 82;
- CSEA;
- Legislature;
- M/C;
- NYSCOPBA;
- PEF; and
- Unified Court System
As of the date of this memo, the following groups should receive unsettled benefit information:
- DC 37;
- PBA-Supervisors;
- PBA-Troopers;
- PIA; and
- UUP
OT Posters
In late August, we sent you Option Transfer posters equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment as a reminder of the Option Transfer Period and other benefit deadlines. Please keep them up through the end of the Option Transfer Period. If you need additional copies, you can use the attached Special Order Form or print them from the PDF on HBA Online's You Should Know section.
Planning for Option Transfer for CSEA, Settled (Non-CSEA) and Unsettled Groups
Planning for Option Transfer flyers for CSEA, settled and unsettled groups will mail to enrollee homes beginning in late October. We will ship you a supply of flyers equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment for distribution at informational meetings and for employees who request them. Please be sure to update your agency address on NYBEAS, if it has changed recently. If your agency requires more than two percent, please use the enclosed Special Order Form. Or, use the online publication ordering system.
Health Insurance Choices for 2013 for Settled and Unsettled Groups
By early December, we will ship you a supply of Choices for settled and unsettled groups, this year's option transfer booklets. The supply will equal 10 percent of your NYSHIP enrollment for each version. Please distribute the appropriate versions to employees who request them. Our inventory will accommodate agencies that need more than the supply shipped. You can order more by using the Special Order Form attached to this memo, but please do not order publications until you have received your shipment. Or, use the online publication ordering system.
Note: When the unsettled groups reach agreements, new enrollees in these groups should receive the Choices booklet for settled groups. You will receive notification of this from EBD if it occurs.
Distribution of Rate Flyers for Active Enrollees
The Rates & Deadlines for 2013 flyers will be mailed to enrollee homes when rates are approved, usually in early December. The rate flyers provide the rates for 2013, the deadline for option changes and other important dates, such as payroll deduction dates.
We will send you a supply equal to five percent of your NYSHIP enrollment at the same time. This year, there are two versions for active employees: Rates & Deadlines for 2013 for settled groups and Rates & Deadlines for 2013 for unsettled groups. Again, please distribute the appropriate versions to employees who request them and keep in mind that the version required may change for unsettled groups that reach agreement.
Option Transfer Policy for NYSHIP Enrollees with Retiree Benefits
Remember, NYSHIP enrollees with retiree benefits* are permitted to change health insurance options at any time once during a 12-month period. This policy was changed in 2003 to allow retirees more flexibility and time to consider personal factors affecting their health insurance option.
*NYSHIP Enrollees with Retiree benefits include: Retirees, Vestees, Dependent Survivors and Enrollees Covered Under Preferred List Provisions of New York State Government and Participating Employers and COBRA enrollees with their NYSHIP benefits.
Health Insurance Choices for 2013 for Retirees
By early December, the Retiree Choices booklet for 2013 will be printed and mailed to retiree homes. We will send you five copies to distribute to new retirees. You may order Retiree Choices throughout 2013.
Distribution of Rate Flyers for Retirees
The 2013 Rates & Information for Retirees of New York State flyer, which includes the rates for each health insurance option for State agency retirees, will be mailed once rates are approved. We will send you five copies at the same time to distribute to new retirees.
Also included in the Retiree rate packet will be a NYSHIP Plans by County guide and a personalized insert with the retiree's maximum sick leave credit value, if applicable.
Information on the Web
All Option Transfer publications, including the rate flyers, will be available on the Department of Civil Service web site at https://www.cs.ny.gov. To view the latest Option Transfer information available, go to https://www.cs.ny.gov, click on Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online. Select the group if prompted, and then click on Health Benefits & Option Transfer. Choose Rates and Health Plan Choices.
This information also will be available on the Employee Benefits Division's administrative web site, HBA Online, https://www.cs.ny.gov/ebdonline. Select Health Plan Choices on the homepage 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.
We will remove the 2012 Option Transfer information from both the public and administrative web sites in November. However, if you wish to view this information, it will still be available in the archives of each site. From the Department of Civil Service homepage, click on Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online. Select the group if prompted, and then click on Using Your Benefits. Choose Archived Publications. From the HBA Online homepage, select Publications and Forms then scroll down to Archived Publications.
MyNYSHIP's Plan Comparison Tool
The NYSHIP plan comparison tool on MyNYSHIP Online will be updated to reflect 2013 benefits in late November. Enrollees can generate a side-by-side comparison of the NYSHIP plans available in their area. To access the plan comparison tool, go to MyNYSHIP from the NYSHIP Online web site at https://www.cs.ny.gov. Click on Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online. Select the group if prompted, and then click on MyNYSHIP-Employee Self-Service. Or, you can go directly to https://www.cs.ny.gov/mynyship.
To Order Health Benefits Materials
A Special Order Form for Option Transfer publications is attached so that you may order additional materials during the Option Transfer Period. To order Choices during the Option Transfer Period, complete the Special Order Form that is attached to this memo and fax it to the Communications Unit at (315) 272-2444. Please do not order publications until you have received your shipment. To order Option Transfer materials after the Option Transfer Period, please use HBA Online.
To reach Communications, please call (518) 457-7577 or fax to (518) 402-4697.