Page 18 - Work Force December 2023

EBF welcomes 30 new local government units in 2023
For more than 40 years, the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund (EBF) has been a steadfast partner for local government CSEA members, offering crucial dental, vision, and reimbursement
benefits that prioritize both health and savings.
In 2023, 30
local government
bargaining units
recognized the
immense value
in adding to their
existing EBF benefits, upgrading their EBF coverage or introducing EBF benefits for the first time.
This achievement was the result
of a collaborative effort, with our dedicated EBF marketing team working in tandem with negotiating teams, members and region staff. Through a series of meetings, conference calls and enrollment days, they ensured the successful integration of these valuable benefits. These units leave behind a legacy of strength, securing excellent benefits for their members for years to come.
Since 1981, when our union’s local government units first began
integrating EBF benefits into their contracts, more than 600 units have joined.
The EBF takes immense pride in welcoming the newest local
government units that understand that better benefits lead to better contracts. Here is
a list of the units that have made EBF additions, upgrades, and introductions in 2023:
Long Island Region
• Eastern Suffolk BOCES Supervisory Unit – Silver Vision
Southern Region
• Beacon School District – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Port Jervis School District Part- Time – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Nanuet School District – Added Horizon Dental
• Warwick School District Part- Time – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Village of Port Chester – Upgraded from Silver to Gold Vision
• Scarsdale Public Library – Sunrise Dental and Gold Vision
Capital Region
Central Region
• Town of Camillus – Member Plus Dental
• Little Falls School District – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Cortland County – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Dolgeville School District - Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Village of Alexandria Bay – Member Plus Dental and Vision
Western Region
• Erie County General Unit – EBF Dental
• Erie County Community College – EBF Dental
• Erie County Medical Center – EBF Dental
• Yates County – Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Town of West Seneca Blue
Collar – Added Occupational and Polarized Lens Riders to Vision
• North Tonawanda School District Clerical – Member Plus Dental
• Livingston County – Member Plus
Dental
• Royalton-Hartland School District
– Member Plus Dental
• Great Atlantic Beach Water Reclamation District – Added • Dutchess Dental
• City of Long Beach Part-Time – • Member Plus Dental and Vision
• Western Suffolk BOCES Aides • & Food Service – Member Plus Dental and Vision •
• Mount Sinai School District – Sunrise Dental
• Town of North Greenbush – Upgraded from Silver to Gold Vision
•
Town of Schodack – Sunrise Dental and Gold Vision
Saranac School District Part-Time – Member Plus Vision
Hudson School District Custodial – Member Plus Dental
Hudson School District Clerical – Member Plus Dental
Albany County Department of Mental Health – Added Sunrise Dental
State employee cost-saving deadlines approaching
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in important cost- saving programs in 2024!
Flex Spending Account Open Enrollment Period ends Dec. 11, 2023
The Flex Spending Account website at https://oer.ny.gov/fsa contains information about eligibility and program rules for the Health Care Spending Account, the Dependent Care Advantage Account and the Adoption Advantage Account.
You can call 1-800-358-7202 for additional information. As a reminder, if you are currently enrolled in the Flex Spending Account Program for 2023, you must reenroll to continue your participation in 2024.
Productivity Enhancement Program enrollment period ends Dec. 11, 2023
If you are eligible to use previously accrued annual and/ or personal leave in return for a credit to be applied toward your 2024 biweekly NYSHIP premiums, ask your agency Health Benefits Administrator for details and an application.
Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) Election Period will run concurrently with the official NYSHIP Option Transfer Period for health insurance.
The PTCP is a voluntary program that allows employees to have their share of health insurance premium deducted from their wages before taxes are withheld. The PTCP
election period runs concurrently with the annual Option Transfer Period. Dates will be announced once rates have been approved.
NYSHIP Annual Option Transfer Period – to be announced.
The 2024 NYSHIP health plan rates will be mailed to your home and posted on NYSHIP Online as soon as they have been approved.
If you are thinking of changing health insurance plans during the Annual Option Transfer Period,
the NYSHIP Plan Comparison
tool, available on NYSHIP online, generates an actual side-by-side comparison of Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMO benefits. This tool can help you easily compare services, copayments, coinsurance amounts and special programs of each
program.
The Comparison tool will be
updated with 2024 benefits and be available in late November or early December.
To access this tool, visit the NYSHIP online homepage at www. cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits. 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. Select the box next to the plans you want to compare – select compare plans to generate a comparison table.
More information about the Annual Option Transfer Period will be available by the end of November.
18 The Work Force
December 2023