NYSHIP Rates & Deadlines for 2009
PLEASE NOTE: The Option Transfer Deadline has been extended to Monday, January 5, 2009.
For New York State Employees, the Legislature and the Unified Court System
Choose your health insurance option for 2009 by December 31, 2008
Now is the Option Transfer Period - the time to choose the health insurance plan you want in 2009. The New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) offers you the choice of The Empire Plan or a NYSHIP-approved Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) serving the area where you live or work.
Except under very defined circumstances, you cannot change plans outside the annual Option Transfer Period, which ends December 31, 2008.
To change your health insurance plan during the Option Transfer Period, see your agency Health Benefits Administrator as soon as possible. Ask for the Health Insurance Transaction Form PS-404. Return the completed form to your agency Health Benefits Administrator by December 31, 2008. Or change your option online using MyNYSHIP. From the home page of this site, click on Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online. Select your group if prompted, and then click on MyNYSHIP-Employee Self-Service. Note: You must register and receive an activation code by mail to use MyNYSHIP.
No action is required if you wish to keep your current health insurance option and still qualify for that plan (click here).
Choices explains your current plan and other available plans
If you are considering changing your health insurance plan for 2009 or wish to review your current plan, ask your agency Health Benefits Administrator (usually located in the Personnel Office) for a copy of Choices for 2009, your guide to NYSHIP options.
If there are any copayment or benefit changes for 2009, your plan will notify you directly. Read your Empire Plan Report or recent HMO notices for changes that may affect you. Check this web site for more information. From the home page, click on Benefit Programs, then on NYSHIP Online. Select your group if prompted, and then click on Health Benefits & Option Transfer. Choose Rates and Health Plan Choices for the most up-to-date option transfer information.
If you have questions about The Empire Plan, call toll free at 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447). Select UnitedHealthcare and then the appropriate prompt on the UnitedHealthcare telephone system for answers to option transfer questions.
If you have questions about NYSHIP HMOs, call the HMOs directly. (See Choices and the rate listing inside for telephone numbers.) Be sure you understand how your benefits will be affected if you change plans. You are choosing a benefit package for yourself and your dependents for the entire 2009 program year. Changing plans may result in substantially different coverage.
Keep your health insurance up to date
Notify your agency Health Benefits Administrator when changes in your family, marital or employment status affect your coverage or if your name, address or phone number changes. Act promptly. Deadlines may apply. See your NYSHIP General Information Book for details.
Retiring or vesting in 2009?
You may change your health insurance plan when you retire or vest your health insurance. Retirees and vestees who continue their NYSHIP enrollment no longer have to wait until the Option Transfer Period; they may change health insurance options at any time once during a 12-month period. If you are planning to leave the payroll: Will you or your spouse/domestic partner be eligible for Medicare? Are you planning to move out of the area? Ask your agency Health Benefits Administrator for a copy of Choices for 2009 for Retirees to see how retirement will affect your coverage.
Your Biweekly Premium Contribution
New York State helps pay for your health insurance coverage. After the State's contribution, you are responsible for paying the balance of your premium through biweekly deductions from your paycheck. For Empire Plan enrollees, the State pays 90 percent of the cost of the premium for individual coverage and 75 percent of the premium for dependent coverage. For HMO enrollees, the State pays 90 percent of the premium for enrollee coverage and 75 percent for dependent coverage. However, the State's dollar contribution for the non-prescription drug components of the HMO premium will not exceed its dollar contribution for the non-prescription drug components of The Empire Plan premium.
Note: This information does not apply to COBRA enrollees. COBRA enrollees will receive a separate notice with 2009 rates.
New York State Health Insurance Program 2009 Rates
Enrollee contributions for employees of New York State
Note: To enroll in an HMO, you must live or work in the HMO's service area. If you no longer live or work in the NYSHIP service area of the HMO in which you are now enrolled, you must change to another plan. Service areas may change from year to year. Please check Choices for 2009 or call the HMO for NYSHIP service area information.
| Biweekly Employee Costs Schedule With NYSHIP Drug Coverage | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For employees of the State of New York who are Management/Confidential or represented by CSEA, PEF, UUP, DC-37; PIA; NYS Supervisors and Troopers represented by PBA; Legislature; Unified Court System | For employees of the State of New York who are represented by Council 82, NYSCOPBA | ||||
| Code | Plan | Ind | Fam | Ind | Fam |
| 001 | The Empire Plan | $22.16* | $97.06** | $22.61 | $98.77 |
| 050 | HIP Health Plan of NY | $34.92 | $129.53 | $34.25 | $128.08 |
| 057 | Univera Healthcare | $92.73 | $343.26 | $92.06 | $341.81 |
| 058 | Preferred Care | $17.56 | $83.20 | $17.56 | $83.20 |
| 059 | Independent Health | $21.26 | $126.99 | $20.65 | $125.54 |
| 060 | MVP Health Care (East) | $17.68 | $87.86 | $17.68 | $87.86 |
| 063 | Capital District PHP | $18.91 | $93.04 | $18.91 | $93.04 |
| 066 | Blue Choice | $22.53 | $106.78 | $21.86 | $105.33 |
| 067 | Community Blue | $38.86 | $202.20 | $38.19 | $200.75 |
| 072 | HMOBlue (Central New York) | $66.28 | $232.48 | $65.61 | $231.03 |
| 160 | HMOBlue (Utica) | $31.77 | $169.93 | $31.10 | $168.48 |
| 210 | Aetna | $97.26 | $363.03 | $96.59 | $361.58 |
| 220 | GHI HMO | $42.54 | $185.78 | $41.87 | $184.33 |
| 280 | Empire BCBS HMO (Upstate) | $60.17 | $228.20 | $59.50 | $226.75 |
| 290 | Empire BCBS HMO (Downstate) | $82.62 | $286.97 | $81.95 | $285.52 |
| 300 | Capital District PHP | $44.48 | $173.98 | $43.81 | $172.53 |
| 310 | Capital District PHP | $50.24 | $188.61 | $49.57 | $187.16 |
| 320 | Empire BCBS HMO (Mid Hudson) | $105.69 | $347.14 | $105.02 | $345.69 |
| 330 | MVP Health Care (Central) | $38.04 | $161.35 | $37.37 | $159.90 |
| 340 | MVP Health Care (Mid-Hudson) | $56.19 | $209.09 | $55.52 | $207.64 |
| 350 | GHI HMO | $59.24 | $237.02 | $58.57 | $235.57 |
| 360 | MVP Health Care (North) | $59.41 | $217.42 | $58.74 | $215.97 |
* $22.46 for CSEA and Courts
** $98.16 for CSEA and Courts
Important Dates for your Benefit Choices
December 31, 2008
Deadline for submitting signed Health Insurance Transaction Form PS-404 to your agency Health Benefits Administrator if you want to change your health insurance plan.
December 25, 2008 Administration Lag-Exempt
New health insurance plan begins for Administration Lag-Exempt Payroll employees. The earliest paycheck in which a deduction change will be made is the check of December 10, 2008. If you change plans, because of processing time, most paycheck changes will be made in January and will include retroactive adjustments for coverage beginning on December 25, 2008.
December 25, 2008 Administration Lag
New health insurance plan begins for Administration Lag-Payroll employees. The earliest paycheck in which a deduction change will be made is the check of December 24, 2008. If you change plans, because of processing time, most paycheck changes will be made later in January and will include retroactive adjustments for coverage beginning on December 25, 2008.
January 1, 2009 Institution Lag-Exempt
New health insurance plan begins for Institution Lag-Exempt Payroll employees. The earliest paycheck in which a deduction change will be made is the check of December 18, 2008. If you change plans, because of processing time, most paycheck changes will be made in January and will include retroactive adjustments for coverage beginning on December 31, 2008.
January 1, 2009 Institution
New health insurance plan begins for Institution Payroll employees. The earliest paycheck in which you will see a deduction change will be the check of December 31, 2008.
Changing plans outside the Option Transfer Period
You may change plans outside the designated Option Transfer Period only under certain circumstances. Read your NYSHIP General Information Book and Empire Plan Report or HMO Report updating your book for a list of events that allow you to change plans outside of the Option Transfer Period.
Contact your agency Health Benefits Administrator for more information.