Page 17 - Work Force November 2024

Important NYSHIP dates to remember
Now is the time for active New York State employees to consider NYSHIP health options for 2025.
The 2025 Planning for Option Transfer publication was recently mailed to NYSHIP enrollee homes and includes information about the upcoming Option Transfer Period.
The annual Option Transfer Period is when NYSHIP enrollees can make changes to their NYSHIP health plan option for 2025. The Health Insurance Choices guide for 2025 contains detailed descriptions of The Empire Plan and each NYSHIP HMO. The Choices guide is available
from your agency Health
Benefits Administrator
(HBA).
In addition to considering your
health plan option for 2025, this is the time
to review anticipated health care expenses for next year.
Do you currently
participate in the Flex Spending Account or the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP)? If not, now is the ideal time to get more information about these negotiated cost-saving benefits as enrollment begins in November; enrollment is time sensitive and end dates vary.
Flex Spending Account Open Enrollment Period: Nov. 1 to Dec. 9, 2024
The Flex Spending Account 2025 plan year will begin on Jan. 1, 2025. The Flex Spending Account (FSA) is a negotiated employee benefit for state employees. A flex spending account offers a way to pay health care 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 at https://oer.ny.gov/FSA or the FSA hotline at 1-800-358-7202 contains more specific information about eligibility and program rules.
Productivity Enhancement Program Enrollment Period: Nov. 1 to Dec. 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 toward 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.
For calendar year 2025, CSEA active state members may be
eligible to receive up to a $1,600 credit (credit
amount is determined by salary grade and
number of days forfeited). To elect PEP
for 2025, you must apply between November 1
and Dec. 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 re-enroll to receive it in 2025.
PTCP Election Period: will run concurrently with the official NYSHIP Option Transfer Period. Date to be announced.
The Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) is a voluntary program that allows your share of the health insurance premium to be deducted from wages before taxes are withheld. In exchange for this reduction in tax liability, you agree to maintain the same pre-tax health insurance deduction for the entire plan year, unless you experience a qualifying event and provide timely notification. Participation in the PTCP can be chosen when first eligible for health insurance benefits or each year during the PTCP election period.
Requests made during the PTCP election period become effective at the beginning of the 2025 plan year. If you wish to change your PTCP election for 2025, complete a
NYS Health Insurance Transaction Form PS-404 and submit it to your agency Health Benefits Administrator during the PTCP election period,
but prior to the deadline. Per IRS rules, this election period is the only opportunity to change your PTCP status for 2025; arbitrary, mid-year status changes are not allowed. Should qualifying PTCP events occur mid-year, any request to change your NYSHIP coverage must be consistent with a PTCP qualifying event and submitted within 30 days of the event. No action is required to keep your current PTCP status.
NYSHIP Annual Option Transfer Period: to be announced
The 2025 NYSHIP health plan rates will be mailed to your home and posted on the state’s NYSHIP Online website as soon as they have been approved. 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 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 2025 benefit information and will be available to coincide with the Option Transfer Period. 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.
Please watch your mail for additional information regarding the 2025 NYSHIP rates and the annual open enrollment period.
Retiring soon? Join the
Retirees!
• Money-saving member benefits
• Representation to protect your pension and retirement benefits
• Access to insurance plans at CSEA’s low group rates
• Discounted dental and vision care programs
• Personal legal services referral network
• CSEA Retiree News
Spouses, domestic partners and retired CSEA staff are eligible to join a CSEA Retiree Local, too!
To learn more and join, visit cseany.org/retirees or call 800-342-4146
November 2024
The Work Force 17