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.
KATHY HOCHUL
Governor
REBECCA A. CORSO
Acting Commissioner
NY21-12
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: 2021 NYSHIP General Information Book for NY Retirees (Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMO)
DATE: September 3, 2021
We are pleased to announce that an updated NYSHIP General Information Book (GIB) for retirees of New York State is at the printer and will soon be mailed to enrollee homes and NY agencies.
Updated Book
The 2021 General Information Book for NY retirees contains information regarding NYSHIP eligibility rules, enrollment options, requirements and costs. This updated publication replaces the 2018 General Information Book and applies to all NY retirees enrolled in either The Empire Plan or a NYSHIP HMO. Please recycle any old copies of this publication that you may have in your office.
Distribution
We will send you a supply of five copies for your use. This publication will begin mailing to enrollee homes in mid-September. Mail files will be pulled from NYBEAS on September 7, 2021. Any enrollee not on the file as of that date will not receive this mailing. This publication is also included in the Quick Order packages, which can be ordered on HBA Online.
Publications Available on NYSHIP Online: www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits
Please check NYSHIP Online for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. Publications are available under Using Your Benefits.
Ordering Publications
You may order additional copies of the General Information Book for NY retirees (AL1798) on HBA Online under Publications & Forms. Please wait until you receive your shipment of the new publication before you place an order.
If you need help accessing HBA Online, contact the ITS Service Desk at 844-891-1786, fixit@its.ny.gov or via chat at https://chat.its.ny.gov. 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.