Department of Civil Service

NY98-07
PE98-06

TO: State Agency and Participating Employer Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Retirement Packages
DATE: February 5, 1998

It is important that employees who are retiring receive accurate, timely information about their health insurance in retirement. The retirement checklist below was developed to help employees (and Health Benefits Administrators) sort through health insurance information and choices before they leave the payroll. This list has been updated to include publications printed since July 8, 1996 (see memo NY96-37 or PE96-15).

Pre-retirement

Please give the following publication and audiovisual instructions to employees thinking about retirement:

• Health Insurance Coverage and Related Benefits For New York State Employees Planning for Retirement, June 1996 (Pre-Retirement Flyer/6-96)
• Employee Benefits Division's 1993 17 minute pre-retirement video with script and updates (use the order form on the back of this memo)
  (PE HBAs - Some of this information may not be appropriate for your employees. Please see memos PE96-08 and PE96-13)

Retirement

Please photocopy and give the attached "Dear Employee" letter, in addition to the following materials, to all eligible employees when they retire:

For Empire Plan enrollees:

• 1995 NYSHIP General Information Book and Empire Plan Certificate (GIB-EP/RET/95)
• July 1995 (EPR-Retirees-95-3), February 1996 (EPR-Retirees-96-1), August 1996 (EPR-Retirees-96-2), December 1996 (EPR-RET-96-3), September 1997 (EPR-Retirees-97-1) Empire Plan Reports
• Empire Plan telephone cards (EP-TEL-RET-2/96)
• Medicare Crossover information and enrollment form (see Memo NY96-27 or PE96-12)
• The Empire Plan at a Glance for retirees (SB-RET-2/97) (1998 version coming soon)
• NYSHIP Special Report for Retirees and Dependent Survivors enrolled in the Empire Plan (EP-Risk-97)

For HMO enrollees:

• 1995 NYSHIP General Information Book (GIB-HMO/RET/95)
• July 1995 (HMO-Retirees-95-3), September 1996 (HMO-Retirees-96-1), February 1997 (HMO-RET-97-1 ) NYSHIP HMO Reports

You should have most of these materials. Please use the NYSHIP Publications Supply Request Forms you currently have if you need to order more.

If you have questions about specific benefits or procedures, please contact your processor in Operations. If you have questions about publications, or thoughts regarding additional material you might find helpful, call the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577 or FAX us at (518) 457-2494.

Note: Please send a blank VHS tape with your order.

Pre-retirement Video
Total Quantity________________________

MAIL OR FAX TO:

Communications Unit
New York State Department of Civil Service
The State Campus
Albany, NY 12239
Fax No. (518) 457-2494

Dear Employee:

Congratulations on your retirement!

Empire Plan enrollees:

• 1995 NYSHIP General Information Book and Empire Plan Certificate
• July 1995, February 1996, August 1996, December 1996, September 1997 Empire Plan Reports
• Empire Plan telephone cards
• Medicare Crossover information and enrollment form
• The Empire Plan at a Glance for retirees
• NYSHIP Special Report for Retirees and Dependent Survivors enrolled in the Empire Plan

HMO enrollees:

• 1995 NYSHIP General Information Book
• July 1995, September 1996, February 1997 NYSHIP HMO Report

All enrollees:

• Important telephone numbers
• Health Insurance Statewide Choices for retirees (with monthly rates)
• Medicare for Disability Retirees

It is important to know when you must enroll in Medicare. When you or your covered dependent first becomes eligible for primary Medicare coverage for any reason, you or your covered dependent must enroll in Medicare Parts A and B, or your benefits under the Empire Plan or your HMO will be drastically reduced. You will find details in the Medicare section that begins on page 23 of the retiree NYSHIP General Information Book. If you still have questions about Medicare, please call the Employee Benefits Division at the telephone number below.

As a retiree, you must notify the Employee Benefits Division of the New York State Department of Civil Service of changes affecting your NYSHIP enrollment. See page 28 of your retiree NYSHIP General Information Book for a list of situations that require that you write to the Employee Benefits Division. Use the form letter included in the book.

As a retiree, the Employee Benefits Division serves as your Personnel Office for health insurance purposes. Call the Division at (518)457-5754 (Albany area), or 1-800-833-4344 (U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico or Virgin Islands) if you have any questions. Or write at the address below.

We wish you good luck and good health!

February 1998
State of New York Department of Civil Service, Employee Benefits Division
The State Campus, Albany, New York 12239