Benefits

SUNY Benefits   One-on-One Counseling with TIAA-CREF   SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan Wellness Resources

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.

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 https://www.cs.ny.gov/mynyship/welcome/.  Changes not noted above must be done through our Benefits Office.

Keep Health Insurance Records Current

The following situations may require a change in your benefits coverage. Prompt notification may prevent unnecessary arrears or overpayments, late-enrollment waiting periods, loss of coverage, or misdirected mail. Contact the Benefits Office, 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:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY (Community Blue)
Independent Health

PS-404 Health Insurance Enrollment Form
PS-404 Option Transfer Period
COBRA 1-800-833-4344
Union Benefit Funds: CSEA | UUP

Contact your health insurance plan for prescription drug information.

Pre-Tax Contribution Program

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

Vision Care Plans
UUP, M/C, PEF, PBANYS, NYSCOPBA:  Davis Vision 1-888-588-4823
CSEA:   1-800-323-2732
Union Benefit Funds: CSEA | UUP

Effective January 1, 2012, the New York State Vision Plan for M/C, PEF, ALESU (PBANYS), NYSCOPBA, and SEHP employees will be administered by Davis Vision. Enrollees were mailed a Davis Vision Welcome Kit, which included two ID cards, information describing vision benefits, and information on how to access the custom Davis Vision website for the NYS Vision Plan. The website allows registered users to locate an extensive network of eye care providers, review benefits and eligibility status, order replacement ID cards, and more.

For additional information and the link to the custom Davis Vision website for the NYS Vision Plan, visit NYSHIP Online or call the Customer Service Center at (888) 588-4823.

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Tuition Assistance & Savings Programs
New York's 529 College Savings Program
NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training Tuition Benefits Program
SUNY B-140W Tuition Assistance Guidelines (50% waiver)
UUP Tuition Assistance (100% waiver) Program — For Buffalo State courses, contact Cynthia Fasla in the Registrar's Office, Moot Hall 210, 878-4907.  For SUNY Buffalo courses, contact Sharon Milliken at 645-4486 and visit their web site for information and an application.
U.S. Savings Bonds

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Retirement & Tax Deferred Plans
Retirement Benefits
NYS Work-Life Retirement Planning
NYS Deferred Compensation Plan
NYS Employees' Retirement System | ERS Application 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 | TRS Application 1-800-348-7298
Moving from TRS to ERS
Optional Retirement Programs:  VALIC, ING, MetLife, TIAA-CREF
SUNY and TIAA-CREF
SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan and Salary Reduction Agreement Form

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.

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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