Benefits: Save your new plan booklets

By now, you should have received two new booklets in the mail.

The first is the new UUP Benefit Trust Fund Benefit Booklet. You can’t miss the bright-orange cover. This booklet describes the dental, vision, life insurance and scholarship programs administered through the UUP Benefit Trust Fund. All active members eligible for state health insurance are eligible for coverage under the UUP Benefit Trust Fund.

The booklet also describes the latest benefit enhancements. Effective Nov. 1, the Fund expanded its vision coverage to include disposable contact lenses. Contact lenses will be subject to a $25 or $45 copay, depending on brand and type, when using a participating provider.

In addition, the Fund now offers a medically necessary program for vision coverage. Members and their dependents may be eligible for services annually if they meet the medical requirements described in the new benefit booklet.

The second booklet is for Empire Plan participants. The NYSHIP General Infor-mation Book and Empire Plan Certificate replaced the old booklet, from 1998, with all the Empire Plan Reports that were subsequently sent with plan amendments.

Each time the Empire Plan changes, you will be sent an Empire Plan Report that describes the changes in detail. These reports should be placed with your booklet, so you have a complete file of covered benefits. For example, an Empire Plan Report is coming soon to describe the new Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) program highlighted in last month’s benefits column.

Do not discard these booklets; they hold valuable information about the benefit coverage provided to you.

If you do not recall receiving either booklet (and you have Fund coverage and are enrolled in the Empire Plan), perhaps your address is not current. For the Empire Plan booklet, the address from your campus personnel office is used. For the UUP Benefit Trust Fund booklet, the address you provided to us on your Fund enrollment card was used.

To check on your Fund address, contact UUP at (800) 887-3863 or e-mail us at benefits@uupmail.org.

— Gail Maloy, Director of Member Benefits and Services