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
NY14-14
PE14-09
PA14-09
SEHP14-04
PAEX14-06
TO: Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Empire Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHSA) Supplement to 2013 Participating Provider Directories for Upstate and Downstate New York; Stickers for 2013 Participating Provider Directories
DATE: February 18, 2014
Due to a change in administrator for the Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHSA) Program after the September 2013 Participating Provider Directories were printed, the MHSA sections of the Directories are no longer accurate.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Provider Supplement for NYS
A supplement of Mental Health and Substance Abuse providers and facilities has been printed for New York State, replacing the listings of MHSA providers in the Upstate New York and Downstate New York versions of the 2013 Participating Provider Directories. This supplement should be included when you provide employees with either version of the September 2013 New York State Participating Provider Directories.
MHSA Stickers
Agency Health Benefits Administrators will also receive a sheet of stickers to adhere to the covers of all copies of the 2013 Participating Provider Directories in inventory in their offices. This sticker notifies enrollees that Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program providers and facilities in the book are no longer accurate due to the change in administrator, and provides a web site and phone number for enrollees who are looking for a MHSA provider or facility.
Distribution
We will send an agency supply equal to one percent of your enrollment (but not more than ten copies) of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse supplement, plus one sheet of stickers to adhere to the cover of all directories in your office. Additional copies of both the supplement and sticker sheets can be ordered on HBA Online. Select Publications & Forms > Empire Plan Participating Provider Directories Order Forms > Display the form > Order Online.
Any Upstate New York or Downstate New York 2013 Participating Provider Directory ordered after late February will automatically include the MHSA Supplement. Any directories ordered for another state/region will only include the sticker on the cover.
Online Directory Resources
We encourage you and your enrollees to use the online Participating Provider search as it is updated weekly, easily searchable and customizable. This resource is the most accurate listing of providers and facilities in all geographic regions. Visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/ebd, choose your group and select Find a Provider. Scroll down to the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program and click the Achieve Solutions link. On the Achieve Solutions site, click Find Services, then Referral Connect to find a provider or facility.
If you have questions about distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.