Page 16 - Work Force December 2024

Now is the time for New York State
employees to compare NYSHIP
health plans if you
are considering
changing your
health insurance
option for the 2025
plan year.
Consider your
choices carefully.
During the annual
Option Transfer
Period, health
insurance options
may be changed
for any reason.
Changes may be
made outside the
designated Option
Transfer Period
only under certain
circumstances,
described in the NYSHIP general
information book. The NYSHIP
official annual Option Transfer Period
is currently scheduled to begin
Friday, November
29, 2024 and
end Tuesday,
December 31,
2024.
Selecting a
health insurance
plan for you and
your family is
an important
and personal
decision. Only
you know your
family’s lifestyle,
health, budget
and benefit
preferences.
An important
step toward
making the best
choice for you and your family is
to understand the NYSHIP options
NYSHIP health plan choices for 2025
December 2024 17 17
The Work Force
If you are a State employee
contemplating participation
in the Flex Spending Account or
the Productivity Enhancement
Program for 2025, don’t hesitate
any longer. The deadline to enroll
in these cost-saving programs is
December 9, 2024.
FSA Open Enrollment Period
(Flex Spending Account): Ends
December 9, 2024
The Flex Spending Account
is a negotiated benefit for State
employees. A flex spending
account offers a way to pay
healthcare expenses, dependent
care, or adoption expenses with
pre-tax dollars. If you are currently
enrolled in the FSA program, you
must re-enroll to continue your
participation in 2025.
The Flex Spending Account
website https://oer.ny.gov/FSA
or the FSA hotline 800-358-7202
contains more specific information
about eligibility and program rules.
PEP Enrollment Period
(Productivity Enhancement
Program): Ends December 9, 2024
The Productivity Enhancement
Program (PEP) allows eligible full
and part-time State employees
to exchange previously accrued
annual and/or personal leave for
a credit to be applied to their
NYSHIP premium. If you are eligible
and elect this program, the credit
will be included in your biweekly
paychecks and divided evenly
during the plan year.
To elect to participate in PEP
for 2025, the deadline to apply is
December 9, 2024. Ask your Agency
Health Benefits Administrator
for additional details and an
application. If you are currently
enrolled in PEP and remain eligible,
you must reenroll to receive it in
2025.
State Employees: FSA and PEP
Enrollment Deadlines Approaching
New York State Department of Civil Service, Employee Benefits Division, Albany, New York 12239 • www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits
OCTOBER 2024
For employees of the State of New York,
Participating Employers, their enrolled dependents,
COBRA enrollees with their NYSHIP benefits
and Young Adult Option enrollees
for 2025
HEALTH
INSURANCE
CHOICES
and how they may differ. The 2024
Health Insurance Choices guide has
been sent to State agencies. The
Health Insurance Choices includes
a summary of The Empire Plan
and each of the NYSHIP Health
Maintenance Organizations.
Current NYSHIP HMO enrollees
are encouraged to familiarize
themselves with the side-by-side
comparison of 2024 to 2025 benefits
sent by the HMO. If thinking of
changing options, also familiarize
yourself with other health plans
available in your area. Please note
that several of the NYSHIP Health
Maintenance Organizations have
made changes to the required
employee out-of-pocket costs
(copayments) for 2025.
New York State also offers a
plan comparison tool (which will
be updated to include 2025 costs)
to assist by creating a side-by-side
comparison of the benefits provided
by each of the NYSHIP plans in your
area. To perform a comparison, go to
www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits
and choose your group and plan, if
prompted. From the NYSHIP online
homepage, select Health Benefits &
Option Transfer. Click on Rates and
Health Plan Choices and then
NYSHIP Plan Comparison.
You can select the
counties in which
you live or work.
A listing of health
plans available
will be listed and
you can check
the box next to
the plans you
want included in
the comparison.
At the time this
article was sent
to press, the 2025
NYSHIP premium rates
were not yet approved.
Once approved, the 2025 NYSHIP
health plan rates will be mailed to
your home and posted on NYSHIP
Online. Included in the rate flyer
will also be important dates and
deadlines and when any changes to
health insurance payroll deductions
will occur.
The Pre-Tax Contribution
Program (PTCP) Election Period for
Executive Branch State Employees
runs concurrent with the annual
Option Transfer Period. 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, which in turn
may lower tax liability. Per Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) rules, the
PTCP Election Period is the only
opportunity for employees to
change their PTCP status (without
a qualifying event). If you wish to
verify your health insurance PTCP
status, please review your health
insurance premium notice on your
paycheck.
•
If you are enrolled in PTCP,
your paycheck stub shows
“Regular Before-Tax Health”.
Your health insurance
premium is deducted from
your wages before taxes are
withheld.
•
If you are not enrolled in PTCP,
or part of your deduction
is taken after tax (e.g. you
have a non-federally qualified
dependent), your paycheck
stub shows “Regular
After-Tax Health”. Your
health insurance
premium (or a
portion of) is
deducted from
your wages
after taxes are
withheld.
No action is
required if you
wish to keep your
current health
insurance option or
current PTCP election.
Once the official Option
Transfer Period is announced, if
you wish to make changes to your
NYSHIP health insurance, complete
and sign all the necessary paperwork
and timely return all required
paperwork to your Agency Health
Benefits Administrator.