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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.

New York State Department of Civil Service

KATHY HOCHUL
Governor

TIMOTHY R. HOGUES
Commissioner

NY25-05

TO: New York State Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Special Deductions for Summer Coverage
DATE: March 6, 2025

Employees receiving their annual salary in less than 26 paychecks must have additional health insurance deductions for summer months prior to removal from payroll.

Before the employee goes off payroll, the Employee Benefits Division (EBD) aims to take all summer deductions. If EBD is unable to take all additional deductions, outstanding balances will be taken when the enrollee returns to payroll. If the enrollee does not return and is terminated, EBD will bill the enrollee for the remaining balance. Please refer to the Summer Deductions for Academic Employees section of the HBA Manual for information on  deductions for summer coverage.

To identify summer teachers, a report (BEA_TEACHERS_DEPT) is available in NYBEAS which lists employees’ Billing Option Code. Instructions on how to run reports can be found in HBA Memo NY15-19/SEHP15-05. Information in this report is used to calculate and deduct additional health insurance premiums.

After running the report, please review and:

  • process a Billing Option Change transaction to 26P for any employees that are no longer on a 21- or 20-paycheck schedule and;
  • process a Billing Option Change transaction to 20A or 21A for any employees that are eligible for the special summer deductions but were not included on the list.

Paychecks impacted by these additional deductions are based on the Billing Option recorded in NYBEAS for each employee; it is imperative that these indicators be set accurately in accordance with the Summer Deduction Schedule on the next page. The LOA/PTA transaction is used only for enrollees who receive less than the 20 or 21 paychecks or whose paycheck is not large enough to support their regular deductions. It should not be used for collection of summer premiums.

For assistance processing a billing option change, call the HBA Help Line at 518-474-2780.   

Summer Deduction Schedule

Administration Payroll (SUNY and SUNY GSEU) – 20 paychecks (20A)

HBA must process all billing option changes by 4/22/25.

Paycheck Dates

Regular Deductions Taken

Extra Deductions Taken for Following Paycheck Dates

5/7/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 6/18/25, 7/2/25

5/21/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 7/16/25, 7/30/25

6/4/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 8/13/25, 8/27/25


Administration Payroll (SUNY) – 21 paychecks (21A)

HBA must process all billing option changes by 5/6/25.

Paycheck Dates

Regular Deductions Taken

Extra Deductions Taken for Following Paycheck Dates

5/21/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 7/2/25, 7/16/25

6/4/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 7/30/25, 8/13/25

6/18/25

1 regular deduction

1 extra deduction for 8/27/25


Institution Payroll
(PEF Teachers & certain School for the Deaf/Blind Employees) – 21 paychecks (21A)

HBA must process all billing option changes by 5/27/25.

Paycheck Dates

Regular Deductions Taken

Extra Deductions Taken for Following Paycheck Dates

6/12/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 7/10/25, 7/24/25

6/26/25

1 regular deduction

2 extra deductions for 8/7/25, 8/21/25


Administration Payroll (Agency 25000 - OCFS) – 21 paychecks (21B)
  

HBA must process all billing option changes by 5/20/25.

Paycheck Dates

Regular Deductions Taken

Extra Deductions Taken for Following Paycheck Dates

6/4/25

1 regular deduction

3 extra deductions for 7/2/25, 7/16/25, 7/30/25

6/18/25

1 regular deduction

3 extra deductions for 8/13/25, 8/27/25, 9/10/25


Termination Date
For teachers who do not return to the payroll in the fall, process the termination transaction with the listed Date of Event.

Agency/Payroll

Billing Option

Date of Event on NYBEAS for Teachers Not Returning

SUNY Administrative Payroll

20A or 21A

8/14/2025

Institution Payroll

21A PEF

8/7/2025

Agency 25000 Administrative Payroll

21B

8/28/2025