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
TIMOTHY R. HOGUES
Commissioner
NY22-18
TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Communications Plan: Option Transfer (OT) Period for 2023
DATE: September 9, 2022
We are pleased to announce the communications schedule for the 2023 Option Transfer 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 not 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 instructions.
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 2023
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-early November, we will post Choices online and ship you a supply equal to two percent of your NYSHIP enrollment. Please distribute to employees who request them as this publication is not mailed to enrollee homes.
Distribution of Rate Flyer for Active Enrollees
The Rates & Deadlines for 2023 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 2023.
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 2023 and NYSHIP Rates & Information for 2023 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 2023, if needed.
Information on the Web
The new Option Transfer Guide, which will be accessible beginning in October from the NYSHIP Online homepage at www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits, provides enrollees with quick access to option transfer-related information, tools and instructions for changing options. Alternatively, enrollees can navigate to group- and plan-specific option transfer resources by using the Enrollee Group Wizard and then selecting Health Benefits & Option Transfer and Rates and Health Plan Choices.
All 2023 Option Transfer publications, including the Rates flyers, will also 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.
We will remove the 2022 OT information from both the public and administrative websites once 2023 rates have been approved and the 2023 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 using the Plan Comparison Tool, which is located in the new Option Transfer Guide on NYSHIP Online. The system announcement on rate approval will note the availability of 2023 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 shipments of the desired publication.
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.