Benefits

MyNYSHIP Employee Self-Service

My New York State Health Insurance Program (MyNYSHIP) is the online source to your health insurance enrollment record as a participant in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). Through MyNYSHIP you can:

• View a summary of your medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Update your address with NYSHIP and the NYSHIP insurance carriers.
• Order ID cards for yourself and covered family members when enrolled in The Empire Plan.
• Change your Medical plan during the annual Option Transfer Period.

Any other changes that you would like to make to your record must be done through our office. To register, visit the Department of Civil Service web site, select Benefit Programs, then NYSHIP Online.  Select your group if prompted, then click MyNYSHIP-Employee Self-Service.  Or, go directly to www.cs.state.ny.us/mynyship.

Keep Health Insurance Records Current

The following is a list of situations that may require a change in the type of coverage that you have. Prompt notification may prevent unnecessary arrears or overpayments, late-enrollment waiting periods, loss of coverage, or misdirected mail. Contact Human Resource Management, Cleveland Hall 410, ext. 4821, immediately to report changes or to obtain further information if any of the following changes occur or questions arise:

• Your family unit changes, for example:
  - marriage or divorce
  - domestic partner no longer qualifies
  - add a dependent
  - no longer have any eligible dependents
  - dependent loses eligibility
  - no longer wish to provide coverage for a dependent
  - you have a disabled dependent
  - spouse dies
  

• Your employment status changes (or you anticipate a change), for example:
  - planning to retire from State service
  - leaving State service
  - going on leave without pay
  - going on family and/or medical leave (FMLA)
  

• Your personal information changes: home address, telephone number, or name change
  

• You have questions concerning:
  - family's eligibility for health insurance coverage
  - changing type of coverage (family/individual)
  - changing health insurance option
  - who the HMOs participating in NYSHIP are
  - eligibility for Medicare benefits due to a particular disease
  - domestic partner turning 65 soon
  - how to coordinate NYSHIP benefits with Medicare
  - the Pre-Tax Contribution Program
  - how to continue health insurance coverage while in vested status
  - how to continue coverage under COBRA
  - how to cancel health insurance coverage to obtain dependent status under spouse's    NYSHIP coverage
  - how to cancel coverage
  

• Additional situations arise, for example:
  - Employee Benefit Card is lost or damaged
  - you become disabled and want to apply for a waiver of premium
  - you are returning to State service

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Health Plans

Empire Plan:
Plan Details
Provider Directory
United Health Care (Group #030500)

HMO's:
Community Blue
Independent Health
Univera

Dental Plans
Council 82, M/C, PEF:  GHI Dental (716) 852-7711 | GHI Dental Form
CSEA:  Employee Benefit Fund 1-800-323-2732
UUP:  Delta Dental 1-800-471-7093 | Delta Dental Form | Highlights | FAQ's
Union Benefit Funds: CSEA | UUP
Forms

Vision Care Plans
M/C, PEF, Council 82, NYSCOPBA:  EyeMed Vision Care 877-226-1412
UUP:  Davis Vision 1-800-999-5431
CSEA:   1-800-323-2732
Union Benefit Funds: CSEA | UUP
Forms

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Tuition Assistance & Savings Programs
NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training
Management Confidential (M/C) Tuition Reimbursement Program
NYS College Tuition Savings Program
SUNY B-140W Tuition Assistance Guidelines (50% waiver)
UUP Program for Tuition Assistance (100% waiver) — For Buffalo State College courses, contact Cynthia Fasla in the Registrar's Office, Moot Hall 210, 878-4907.  For SUNY Buffalo courses, contact Suzy Shallowhorn at 645-5000, ext. 1295 and visit their web site for information and an application.
U.S. Savings Bonds

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Retirement & Tax Deferred Plans
Retirement Planning Information and Resources
NYS GOER Pre-Retirement Planning Guide
NYS Deferred Compensation Plan
NYS Employees' Retirement System or call toll free 1-866-805-0990

Representatives of the NYS Employees' Retirement System conduct consultations by appointment only at the Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building, 65 Court Street, room 500. Call 1-866-805-0990 to schedule an appointment.

• 5 Step Plan for Retirement
• Forms
• Loans and Applications

NYS Teachers' Retirement System or call 1-800-348-7298
Moving from TRS to ERS
Optional Retirement Programs and Forms:  VALIC, ING, MetLife, TIAA-CREF
SUNY and TIAA-CREF

Retirement Loans
The SUNY Board of Trustees has adopted a resolution permitting loans from the Optional Retirement Program. TIAA-CREF, VALIC, ING, and MetLife are now able to process loans. Employees will be permitted to take one loan per carrier per 12-month period. The total borrowed from any one carrier may not exceed 50 percent of the accumulated value of the employee's contracts. Individual carriers may have additional restrictions on loan amounts.

Loan provisions also apply to tax-deferred annuities provided by TIAA-CREF.

All loans are subject to IRS regulations, which currently set the maximum combined loan balance at $50,000. It is the employee's responsibility to ensure that he or she does not exceed this limit.

Employees should be aware of the consequences of loan default: Defaults are taxable as ordinary income in the year in which they occur; employees younger than 59½ may be subject to an additional 10 percent federal tax penalty; loan defaults reduce the retirement income an employee will receive.

Employees wishing to take a loan should contact their carrier directly.

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