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
NY21-20
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Communications Plan: Option Transfer Period for 2022
DATE: September 10, 2021
We are pleased to announce the communications schedule for the 2022 Option Transfer (OT) Period.
Reminders
- The Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) Election Period and the Option Transfer Period run Do not accept PTCP election changes until the Option Transfer Period begins. Please refer to HBA Memo NY19-32 for additional PTCP-related details and instructions.
- It is no longer necessary for Opt-out Program enrollees who continue to be eligible to reenroll in the program each year. Please refer to HBA Memo NY19-31 for additional Opt-out Program-related details and
Option Transfer Posters
The OT posters help to remind enrollees about the OT Period and other program deadlines. We will soon send you OT posters equal to one percent of your NYSHIP enrollment. Please post them in high-traffic, highly visible locations and keep them up until the end of the OT Period, typically through year end. Additional copies can be ordered on HBA Online. If your agency posts information for employees electronically, please use the attached PDF.
Planning for Option Transfer
The Planning for Option Transfer flyer describes the requirements and enrollment procedures for several benefits and programs, including NYSHIP health benefits, the PTCP, the Opt-Out Program and the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP).
Planning for Option Transfer flyers will be mailed to enrollee homes in late September. We will also ship you a supply of flyers equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment for new employees or for use at employee meetings.
Health Insurance Choices for 2022
Choices is a guide to the OT Period that details the benefits, services and programs available to NYSHIP enrollees, including The Empire Plan and NYSHIP-approved Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Procedures for changing options, tips on how to decide which coverage may be best for the enrollee and updates on plan changes are also included in this publication.
In late October, we will ship you a supply of Choices equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment. Please distribute to employees who request them as this publication is not mailed to enrollee homes.
Health Insurance Choices for 2022 Supplement
As of the date of this memo, the Council 82 State employee bargaining unit has not yet settled its contract and enrollees represented by C-82 will therefore continue to receive the same Empire Plan benefits as they did during the 2021 plan year. The 2022 Empire Plan benefits for employees represented by C-82 will be detailed in the Health Insurance Choices for 2022 Supplement. This document should be distributed along with the Active Choices publication to any C-82 enrollees who request Choices.
In late October, we will separately ship a supply of the Choices Supplement equal to two percent of NYSHIP enrollment to agencies with employees represented by C-82. Like Choices, it will not be mailed to enrollee homes.
Distribution of Rate Flyer for Active Enrollees
The Rates & Deadlines for 2022 flyer provides the rates, option transfer and PTCP election deadlines and other important information, such as payroll deduction dates. Note that there will only be a single version of the Rates flyer for 2022.
The Rates flyers will be mailed first class to enrollee homes once rates have been approved, and we will also post them online and issue a system announcement at that time with additional details. We will send you a supply equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment. Again, please distribute to any new employees or enrollees who request them.
Option Transfer Policy for NYSHIP Enrollees with Retiree Benefits
NYSHIP enrollees with retiree benefits* are permitted to change health insurance options at any time once during a 12-month period. This policy allows retirees more flexibility and time to consider personal factors affecting their health insurance option.
*NYSHIP enrollees with retiree benefits include: Retirees, Vestees, Dependent Survivors and Enrollees Covered under Preferred List Provisions of New York State Government and COBRA enrollees with their NYSHIP benefits.
Distribution of Publications for Retirees
Once rates have been approved, we will mail Health Insurance Choices for 2022 and 2022 Rates & Information for Retirees to retiree homes. Also included in each retiree rate packet will be a personalized insert with the retiree’s sick leave credit value, if applicable. Note: Retiree Choices is mailed only to retirees living in New York State.
We will send you a supply of Retiree Choices equal to one percent of your NYSHIP enrollment and five copies of the Rates flyer to distribute to new retirees. You may order additional copies throughout 2022, if needed.
Information on the Web
All 2022 Option Transfer publications, including the Rates flyers, will be available on the Employee Benefits Division’s administrative website, HBA Online, at www.cs.ny.gov/employee- benefits/hba. Select Health Plan Choices on the homepage to view OT information.
Note: This site is your best option if you frequently need to check benefit information for different groups.
This information also will be available on NYSHIP Online at www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits. Select Health Benefits & Option Transfer, then choose Rates and Health Plan Choices.
We will remove the 2021 OT information from both the public and administrative websites once 2022 rates have been approved and the 2022 OT Period begins. If you need to view this
information, it will be available in the archives of each site. From the HBA Online homepage, select Publications and Forms, then scroll down to Archived Publications. From NYSHIP Online, select the group, if prompted, and then Using Your Benefits. Choose Publications and scroll down to Archived Publications.
NYSHIP’s Plan Comparison Tool
Enrollees can generate a side-by-side comparison of the NYSHIP plans available in their area by visiting NYSHIP Online, choosing Rates and Health Plan Choices and then NYSHIP Plan Comparison. The system announcement on rate approval will note the availability of 2022 benefit information on the Plan Comparison tool. Note that the Plan Comparison Tool is also available for employees registered on MyNYSHIP.
To Order Health Benefits Materials
The Employee Benefits Division keeps inventory for all Option Transfer publications to accommodate agencies that need more than the supply shipped. To order OT materials both during and after the OT Period, please use the online publication ordering system via HBA Online at www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits/hba. Please do not order publications until you have received your shipment.
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 have any questions about OT publications and distribution, please call the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577.