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
DANIEL E. WALL
EXECUTIVE
DEPUTY COMISSIONER
NY94-17
PE94-11
PA94-07
TO: Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP Benefit Card Production
DATE: October 28, 1994
The Employee Benefit Card contract has been awarded to Deluxe Corporation's Deluxe Card Services Division, which began issuing Empire Plan NYSHIP benefit cards August 1, 1994.
Blue Cross electronically transmits an embossing file to Deluxe every Wednesday. This file contains embossing records for card-producing transactions processed during the previous seven days. Cards are produced from the information on this file and mailed by Friday to the enrollees' homes.
Deluxe also mails out corresponding agency card reports by Friday. The agency card report contains the enrollee's address, so you can verify that the card was sent to the correct location. Additionally, the report format has been changed to make it easier to read.
A new indicator, "YLS", is embossed on new and replacement cards. It is not necessary for an enrollee to order new cards simply for this indicator. "YLS" will be used by Blue Cross providers to properly route claims, which will result in reduced Empire Plan costs. In line with this initiative, the Department is working on a targeted card reissuance project. This project is directed toward those enrollees and their dependents who live outside New York State or who have, within the last eighteen months, received services from an out-of-state Blue Cross provider. These enrollees and dependents will receive replacement cards with the YLS indicator. The insert shown on the back page of this memo will be enclosed with the cards explaining why an unsolicited replacement is being issued.
In emergency situations, you can still contact your processor for the last five digits of the enrollee's card. However, if the enrollee is denied service at a pharmacy, the pharmacist, enrollee, or HBA can contact ValueRx directly at 1-800-964-1888 or contact the Employee Benefits Division at 1-800-833-4344.
Empire Plan enrollees and dependents-
New benefit card replaces the card you now have
Your new benefit card is enclosed. You must use this card for all Empire Plan services, including hospital services. Please destroy your old card. Claims will not process correctly if you use your old card.
The only difference between your old card and the new card enclosed is the YLS indicator which appears on the bottom front side of the card. The YLS indicator must appear on all claims submitted to Blue Cross. Be sure your hospital and related providers use the YLS indicator whenever they submit claims to Blue Cross for you.
The YLS indicator is especially important on claims for services you receive outside New York State.
When you use your new card with the YLS indicator, your hospital claims will process correctly. And, you will help the Empire Plan reduce costs.
State of New York Departtnent of Civil Service
Employee Benefits Division
The W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus
Albany, New York 12239