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.
GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12239
www.cs.ny.gov
COMMISSIONER
JOHN F. BARR
EXECUTIVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
PA06-12
TO: Participating Agency Health Benefits Administrators
FROM: Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: Medicare & NYSHIP for PA Retirees
DATE: June 26, 2006
We are happy to announce that the June 2006 booklet, Medicare & NYSHIP for retirees of Participating Agencies, is at the printer and will be shipped to agencies soon.
This publication reinforces the NYSHIP requirement that retirees and their dependents must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when first eligible for primary Medicare coverage. It explains how NYSHIP and Medicare work together to provide retiree benefits.
Medicare & NYSHIP Video
A companion video, "Medicare & NYSHIP" in DVD and VHS format, will be available by the end of the summer. Details will follow in a future memo.
Distribution
This publication will be mailed to the homes of retirees nearing age 65 as part of a 65th Birthday Medicare reminder mailing. We will send you a supply equal to 3 percent of your Empire Plan enrollment. Please give a copy to any enrollee who becomes eligible for Medicare due to age, disability or domestic partner status.
Publications available on our web site: www.cs.state.ny.us
Please check this web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. This publication will be available under the Retirees tab for enrollees and on HBA online.
Ordering Publications
You may order additional copies by using the Publications Supply Order Forms enclosed with your shipment. Or, instead of faxing the form, you may order on HBA Online (formerly known as ebd_online). From the Department of Civil Service homepage, www.cs.state.ny.us, select the Benefits Programs button from the left hand navigation. Then click on HBA Online. Open Publications & Forms, then open NYSHIP Publication Order Forms. If you need help accessing HBA Online, please call the Help Desk or your processor. Please wait until you receive your shipments 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.