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
NY21-38
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Benefit Update to NYS Vision Plan Booklet for PEF Enrollees
DATE: December 8, 2021
This memo is to inform you that the NYS Vision Plan Booklet for employees represented by the Public Employer Federation (PEF) union has been updated to reflect the newly bargained ultra/digital progressive lens and annual contact lens exam benefits, effective January 1, 2022.
In early December, the Department mailed a Dental and Vision Benefits Brochure to the home of all current PEF enrollees detailing the addition of the ultra/digital progressive lens and annual contact lens exam to their vision benefit. For additional information on this brochure, please see HBA Memo NY21-31.
Please be advised Davis Vision will continue to mail a group specific NYS Vision Plan Booklet to each employee’s home upon enrolling in the NYS Vision Plan.
A PDF of the new booklet is posted on HBA Online and NYSHIP Online. A hard copy of the booklet can be ordered through HBA Online under “NYSHIP Publication Order Forms”, select PEF under the drop-down menu. The new publication will be listed as follows: NY1424 PEF Vision Book January 2022.
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, please call EBD Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.
If you have questions about vision benefits call Davis Vision at 1-888-588-4823. Benefits can also be viewed online at
www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits/nyship/group/1/10/vision/index.cfm