Department of Civil Service

NY01-25

TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: NYSHIP Benefit Access Line
DATE: June 15, 2001

We will soon mail the June 2001 flyer announcing the New York State Health Insurance Program's Benefit Access Line. The one-page, tri-fold flyer will mail third class to: New York State and Participating Employer Retirees, Vestees, Dependent Survivors and Enrollees covered under Preferred List Provisions; New York State Employees on Leave Without Pay, Workers' Compensation or Short Term Disability Leave; COBRA Enrollees.

The key to the new telephone system is the enrollee's health insurance identification number. When the caller enters the identification number, the system connects to the enrollee's enrollment data.

Callers can either press phone buttons or speak selections. The new system works with all types of phones. Phone messages are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Employee Benefits representatives are available to answer questions Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm.

Please note that previously published shortcut connections do not work in the new system. The enrollee's identification number is the new shortcut to information. The flyer offers some examples to help make selections.

Distribution of Flyers

The telephone flyers will mail to enrollee homes in late June. We will send you a supply of the flyers equal to 5 percent of your enrollment.

Publications available on EBD Web site

The telephone flyer is available on the EBD Web sites, NYSOnline (www.cs.state.ny.us. Click on Employee Benefits.) and EBDOnline.

Ordering Publications

You may order additional copies of this publication by using the forms on Publications and Order Forms. Please wait until you receive your supply before you place an order.

If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577.

THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION ANNOUNCES:

The NYSHIP Benefit Access Line

We are happy to send you the June 2001 NYSHIP Benefit Access Line flyer for New York State and Participating Employer Retirees, Vestees, Dependent Survivors and Enrollees covered under Preferred List Provisions; New York State Employees on Leave Without Pay, Workers' Compensation or Short Term Disability Leave; COBRA Enrollees.

Please see memo NY01-25 or PE01-19 for more details.

Publications available on NYS OnLine: http://www.cs.state.ny.us and PA-MARKET

Please check our Web sites for copies of new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. That means you can see publications before employees start receiving them. Go to the Department of Civil Service Web site: http://www.cs.state.ny.us and click on "Employee Benefits." This will take you to the NYS OnLine page. Select "Recent Publications."

These new publications are also added to the Employee Benefits administrative Web site, PA-MARKET at the same time. On the homepage, select "Publications and Order Forms." Please refer to HBA memo NY00-47 for instructions on how to access PA-MARKET.

Distribution

This publication will mail to enrollee homes in late June. We are sending you a supply equal to 5 percent of your enrollment. If you need additional copies of this publication, please use the enclosed Publication Supply Request Form. Look for Phone Annt-6/01.

If you have any questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at (518) 457-7577.