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
NY13-15
PE13-09
PA13-09
SEHP13-03
PAEX13-10
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators; Student Employee Health Plan Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: PPO Options Letter and UHC Network Expansion Letter announcing expanded UHC provider network in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia
DATE: June 24, 2013
We are pleased to announce that the UHC provider network in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia has been expanded effective June 1, 2013. Empire Plan enrollees may now receive network level benefits from physicians in the UnitedHealthcare Options Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network. In mid-June, affected enrollees in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. received a mailing with a PPO Options letter and UHC letter announcing the expanded network. The PPO Options letter includes perforated Provider Cards that enrollees can present to providers who may not be familiar with The Empire Plan.
The online directory has already been updated to include providers in the expanded network. The 2013 printed directories, which will be available to order in late summer, will also reflect these additional providers in the combined Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia book as well as the West Virginia book.
Distribution
Enrollees in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. were mailed the PPO Options Letter and UHC Network Expansion Letter on June 20. We are not mailing these letters to agencies at this time, but the PPO Options Letter with perforated Provider Cards can be ordered on HBA Online using the Participating Provider Directories Order Form. Additionally, any orders for the expansion states (AZ, CT, FL, IL, NC/SC, NJ, PA, DC/MD/VA and WV) will include a copy of the PPO Options Letter with Provider Cards.
Publications Available on Our Web Site: https://www.cs.ny.gov
Please check our web site for new publications. The PPO Options Letter with Provider Cards and UHC Network Expansion Letter are available under You Should Know on HBA Online. The PPO Options Letter with Provider Cards is available on NYSHIP Online for enrollees. Select Using Your Benefits, then Publications.
If you need help accessing HBA Online, please call the GGC Service Desk at Civil Service at 1-800-HBA-EMS1. Call the EBD HBA Help Line at 518-474-2780 with questions on NYSHIP benefits. 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.