Department of Civil Service

NY13-32
PE13-27

TO: New York State Agency Health Benefits Administrators; Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Empire Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse Administrator for 2014
DATE: December 27, 2013

Effective January 1, 2014, the Empire Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHSA) Program will be administered by ValueOptions, Inc. Please note that the change in administrator does not impact the benefits available under the Program.

Empire Plan enrollees will receive a letter from the Employee Benefits Division notifying them of this change (see attachment). Enrollees who received care in the last six months of 2013 from a participating provider who does not participate in the ValueOptions network will receive a follow-up letter from ValueOptions regarding their transition of care benefit. This benefit allows such enrollees to continue to receive care at the network level of benefits for up to 90 days with their current provider, even if their provider has not joined the ValueOptions network as of January 1, 2014.

Enrollees who need services or have any questions about the transition should be instructed to call The Empire Plan toll free at 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447), press 3 for the MHSA Program and select the option for 2014 benefits.

Online publications will be revised prior to January 1 to correct MHSA program administrator contact information and references. These include 2014 Health Insurance Choices, NYSHIP Rates & Deadlines for 2014 (if applicable for the group) and the 2014 Empire Plan At A Glance. Any supply of the Choices insert previously provided should be removed from your inventory and recycled.

Note: Please disregard the previously issued HBA memos (NY 13-31, PE13-26) on this subject.

Attachment: EP MHSA 2014 letter (PDF | HTML)