Department of Civil Service

NY13-31
PE13-26

TO: New York State and Participating Employer Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2014 Choices Booklets: Notice of Correction
DATE: December 3, 2013

We regret to inform you that the recently distributed Health Insurance Choices for 2014 booklets contain incorrect information regarding the administrator for the Empire Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHSA) Program. In 2014, the MHSA Program will continue to be administered by OptumHealth. Online versions of Choices have been updated to reflect this correction. In the coming week, agencies will receive a supply equal to their Choices shipment of a Notice of Correction insert to be distributed with any Choices booklet given to enrollees. There are three versions for the settled groups, unsettled groups and retirees. If you need the Notice prior to receiving your shipment, please select the appropriate PDF version attached to this memo and print a copy as needed. NY and PE Retirees will receive this insert with their Choices/Rates packet and all inventory available for ordering will include this insert automatically.

Health Insurance Choices for 2014 is available on the Employee Benefits Division’s administrative web site, HBA Online, at https://www.cs.ny.gov/ebdonline. Select Health Plan Choices on the homepage to go to Option Transfer information. This information also will be available on the Department of Civil Service web site at https://www.cs.ny.gov. From the homepage, click on Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online. Select the group, if prompted, and then click the appropriate Option Transfer button.

As a reminder, during the OT Period, some benefit information will vary depending on the employee’s group. Unrepresented groups and groups that have agreements/awards with New York State should receive settled benefit information. Groups that do not have agreements/awards with New York State should receive unsettled benefit information.

As of the date of this memo, the following groups receive settled benefit information:

• APSU;
• Council 82;
• CSEA;
• Legislature;
• M/C;
• NYSCOPBA;
• NY/PE Retirees;
• PE Actives;
• PEF;
• UCS; and
• UUP

As of the date of this memo, the following groups receive unsettled benefit information*:

• DC-37;
• PBA-Troopers;
• PBA-Supervisors; and
• PIA

*Remember that when these groups do settle their contracts, new enrollees should receive the Settled version.

If you have any questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577.

Notice of Correction: Settled Choices
Notice of Correction: Unsettled Choices
Notice of Correction: Retiree Choices