Page 17 - Work Force July-August 2025

18 The Work Force July-August 2025
On the Road with The Empire Plan
Being familiar with the covered
benefits and plan-participant
requirements of the health insurance
coverage you and your family is
enrolled under is of great importance
when close to home, as well as when
traveling.
The publication “On the Road with
the Empire Plan” includes important
plan information such as addresses,
phone numbers and descriptions
of covered services, including
services that may require contacting
the appropriate Empire Plan
administrator for precertification
prior to receipt of services.
“On the Road” can be requested
through your work location’s agency
health benefits administrator or
business services center.
An electronic version can be
accessed on NYSHIP’s website
at https://www.cs.ny.gov/
employee-benefits/nyship/shared/
publications/on-the-road/2023/ny-
ret-on-the-road-2023.pdf.
Empire Plan coverage is
available worldwide and not just
for emergencies. Most parts of The
Empire Plan have two levels of
benefits. If you use an Empire Plan
participating provider, medically
necessary covered services and
supplies can be accessed with little
or no out-of-pocket cost. If you use a
non-participating provider, medically
necessary covered services and
supplies can be accessed, but
deductibles, coinsurance and benefit
limits may apply.
The Empire Plan has nationwide
participating provider networks. For
assistance locating a network Empire
Plan provider, call the Empire Plan at
1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) and
select the appropriate program. The
telephone prompt numbers for each
of the Empire Plan programs are:
1. Medical/Surgical Program,
Managed Physical Medical
Program or the Home Care
Advocacy Program (HCAP)
2. Hospital Program
3. Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Program
4. Prescription Drug Program
5. Empire Plan Nurseline
(Registered Nurses available
24 hours/7 days per week)
The Empire Plan hospital
program requires precertification
by enrollee/dependent before a
scheduled (non-emergency) hospital
admission (or within 48 hours or as
soon as reasonably possible after
an emergency or urgent hospital
admission), and before admission or
transfer to a skilled nursing facility.
The Empire Plan Medical/Surgical
Program requires prenotification
before having a scheduled (non-
emergency) magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance
angiography (MRA), computerized
tomography (CT) scan, positron
emission tomography (PET) scan or
nuclear medicine test.
The Empire Plan’s Home Care
Advocacy Program should be called
for pre-certification before
receiving medically
necessary home
care services,
equipment
or supplies
anywhere in
the United
States.
The Empire
Plan Diabetic
Supplies
Pharmacy
should be
called at 1-800-
321-0591 for
blood glucose self-
testing equipment and
supplies, including blood
glucose monitors, test strips,
lancets and lancet devices. Insulin
pump requests must call HCAP for
authorization. Call Byram Healthcare
at 1-800-354-4054 for ostomy
supplies.
Remote health care visits using
Live Health Online (LHO) are cost-
effective and can be a convenient
alternative for Empire Plan enrollees
and dependents to receive services
instead of urgent care centers or
emergency rooms when traveling.
Using Live Health Online to access a
board-certified doctor, psychiatrist,
psychologist or licensed therapist
for a telephone or video visit can be
done with no out-of-pocket cost.
To register, visit
www.anthembluecross.
com/nys or contact
Live Health Online
at 1-888-548-3432,
24 hours a day,
seven days a
week.
The Empire
Plan Nurseline
provides
access to health
information and
support 24 hours
a day, seven days a
week. Call The Empire
Plan at 1-877-769-7447
and press or say “5” to
speak with a registered nurse about
your health-related questions.
As a reminder, bring a copy of
the Empire Plan on the Road (which
includes important information and
telephone numbers), your Empire
Plan health insurance identification
card and your doctor’s contact
information when traveling.
The Flexible Spending Account
(FSA) is a state employee benefit
that saves employees money by
allowing them to pay for certain
expenses with pre-tax dollars.
The Health Care Spending
Account (HCSA), Dependent Care
Advantage Account (DCAA) and
the Adoption Advantage Account
are FSA programs available to state
employees through the Flexible
Spending Account.
Total Administrative Services
Corporation (TASC) is New York
State’s FSA administrator. TASC
will be issuing new debit cards to
current FSA participants this month.
TASC has noted the new cards will
result in improved user experience
and enhanced security features.
TASC is
currently
communicating
important
information
regarding the new
debit cards with
participants via
email.
It is important
to be aware that
TASC deactivated current FSA debit
cards on or after June 22, 2025, to
coincide with the mailing of the
new FSA debit cards. This reissue
applies to all cards, including ones
issued to spouses and dependents.
Participants will
experience a
short gap where
old cards are
inactive and
new cards are in
transit.
Once received,
your new FSA
debit card
doesn’t require
activation. However, you will need
to re-establish any automatic
payments that were scheduled with
your old FSA debit card.
If you incur a bill or pay out-
of-pocket for medical services
during the few days when you
will be without a card, please
see TASC’s “Accessing Benefit
Account Funds” for information on
accessing account funds. Get more
information at www.tasconline.
com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/
TC-6836-Accessing-Benefit-Account-
Funds.pdf.
Questions regarding the new
FSA debit cards can be directed to
TASC customer care at (800) 358-
7202. Get more information at
www.tasconline.com/newcard.
New TASC FSA debit cards