Today's Message
Posted: Monday, November 25, 2013Annual Period for NYSHIP Enrollees to Make Changes to Their Health Insurance Coverage and Annual Option Transfer Period
The annual period for NYSHIP enrollees to make changes to their coverage ends Saturday, November 30. Please see below for information about the annual Option Transfer Period.
NYSHIP enrollees have until Saturday, November 30, to make the following changes to their health insurance coverage for 2014 without a qualifying event:
- Change pretax status for insurance deductions; visit the SUNY website for additional information.
- Voluntarily cancel health insurance.
- Change from family to individual coverage.
Note: Unless you are a new employee or have a qualifying event, the 10-week waiting period still applies to enroll in health insurance for the first time or to add previously eligible dependents to your coverage.
Employees who wish to make the above changes to their coverage are encouraged to complete and return the NYS Health Insurance Transaction Form to Cleveland Hall 410 as soon as possible.
Annual Option Transfer Period
NYSHIP enrollees have 30 days from the date the 2014 rates are published to
- change their NYSHIP health plan; employees may choose from the Empire Plan or one of two health maintenance organizations: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY or Independent Health;
- change from a NYSHIP health plan to the Opt-Out Program;
- change from the Opt-Out Program to a NYSHIP health plan.
The Employee Benefits Office will announce the new health plan rates and deadline dates in the Daily Bulletin as soon as they are published. The New York State Employee Benefits Division will also mail information about the 2014 rates and deadline dates to enrolled employees' home addresses. "Choices," a comparison booklet of the insurance plans, will be available on the Human Resource Management website and in the Employee Benefits Office by early December.
Representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, and the Empire Plan will be at the NYS Health Benefits Fair on Tuesday, December 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210 to answer questions about current health insurance plans and anticipated changes in coverage for 2014.
Please call the Employee Benefits Office at ext. 4821 with questions.
