Choosing Your Health Insurance Option for 2021

New York State Active Employees: It’s that time of year to start thinking about your 2021 health insurance options.

New York State typically mails the Planning for Option Transfer flyers to enrollees in late September. The flyer describes the requirements and enrollment procedures for several benefits and programs, including NYSHIP health benefits, the Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) and the Opt-Out Program, if applicable. This document is an important reminder and contains benefit and program deadlines.

If you are thinking of changing health insurance plans during the Open Enrollment Period, the NYSHIP Plan Comparison tool, available on NYSHIP online, generates an actual side-by-side comparison of Empire Plan and HMO benefits. This tool can help you easily compare and contrast services, copayments, coinsurance amounts and special programs for The Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMOs.

The comparison tool will be updated with 2021 benefits this fall, at the same time the Option Transfer Period begins. To access this tool, visit the NYSHIP Online homepage. Select your group and plan, if prompted, and then choose Health Benefits & Option Transfer; click on Rates and Health Plan Choices and the NYSHIP Plan Comparison. Select your group (CSEA) and the counties in which you live and work. Check the box next to the plans you want to compare, and click on Compare Plans to generate the comparison table.

Please watch for additional information in The Work Force as the option transfer period draws near.