REMINDER:
Annual NYSHIP Health Insurance Option Transfer Period is now through Dec. 31
The annual Option Transfer Period has begun, and runs now through Dec. 31. During this period, employees enrolled in a health insurance plan through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) may make changes to their enrollment for the 2011 Plan Year.
Among other changes enrollees may wish to make, this special Option Transfer period allows change to or from The Empire Plan or any of the HMOs offered through NYSHIP, switching from family to individual coverage, or cancellation of coverage. Some changes require a waiting period of up to five pay periods, so you may wish to make your changes as soon as possible. No action is required if you wish to keep your current health insurance option and still qualify for that plan.
The Department of Civil Service will mail the 2011 calendar year NYSHIP rates to the homes of employees who are presently enrolled in NYSHIP. The “Choices for 2011″ booklet (for settled groups) and 2011 rates are available online at http://www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd. Hard copies of “Choices for 2011″ and the 2011 rates will soon be available in the Office of Human Resources (Haggerty 203); if you would like a hard copy of Choices for 2011, please contact our office and we will forward a copy to you through campus mail when they are available.
When reviewing the choices and rates for HMOs, please note the counties listed under each of the plans. Your eligibility to enroll in an HMO is determined by the county in which you reside and/or work.
If you wish to make a change to your NYSHIP enrollment, you must complete and submit a NYS Health Insurance Transaction form PS404 to the Benefits Office in Human Resources (HAB 203) no later than the close of business on Friday, Dec. 31. Feel free to submit applications in person, via interoffice mail, or if submitting outside of regular business hours you may use the locked drop-box just outside the entrance to Human Resources.
You can also take the “Do It Yourself” approach to your enrollment and make select adjustments to your NYSHIP enrollment by accessing the MyNYSHIP function online at www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd. On MyNYSHIP, you can change your medical plan during the Annual Option Transfer Period, view a summary of your enrollment, or order ID cards for yourself and your dependents (if enrolled in the Empire Plan). To use the MyNYSHIP function, you will first need to establish a MyNYSHIP account with a Civil Service ID and password. You will then need to activate your account with an activation code, which will be mailed to you by the New York State Department of Civil Service after you register for a MyNYSHIP account.
If you wish to take advantage of the MyNYSHIP function, be sure to plan ahead and allow enough time for your activation code to arrive in the mail so that changes can be made before the Option Transfer deadline.
The telephone numbers as well as the Web site for the insurance options are provided below. If you are considering changing to a different health insurance carrier and would like a listing of the carrier’s participating physicians or have specific questions regarding one of the health insurance plans, please visit the carrier’s Web site or contact the carrier directly. If you have general questions about benefits, please contact the Benefits Office at x3169.
The Empire Plan
Contact (877) 769-7447 or visit www.cs.state.ny.us/ebd
Empire BlueCross BlueShield HMO
Contact (800) 453-0113 or visit www.empireblue.com
Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP)
Contact (800) 777-2273 or visit www.cdphp.com
Mohawk Valley Physicians (MVP)
Contact (888) 687-6277 or visit www.joinmvp.com
GHI HMO
Contact (877) 208-7920 or visit www.ghi.com