Page 17 - Work Force September 2018

Enrolled in the Empire Plan? Make Sure Student’s Shots Are Up To Date
Our benefit specialists are here to help
The CSEA Employee Benefit Fund (EBF) has assigned a senior benefits specialist to each region that has local government unit.
Specialist are available to attend negotiation sessions, membership meetings, information days, health fairs and open enrollment site visits. In addition to benefit presentations, the specialists are also available to prepare dental or vision comparisons so that when your team goes to the negotiating table, members are fully informed of options.
Our senior benefits specialists are here to help our members see the value in their union membership, so make sure you know who to contact when you need us.
Long Island Region:
Linda Sclafani – (631) 462-5224 or lsclafani@cseaebf.org
Southern Region:
Jordan Hughes – (845) 831-1000 or jhughes@cseaebf.org
Capital Region:
Erin Bazinet – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 860 or ebazinet@cseaebf.org
Central Region:
Geoff Switts – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 813 or gswitts@cseaebf.org
Western Region:
Jim Aldrich – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 818 or jaldrich@cseaebf.org
Retiree – Statewide State and Local Government:
Colleen Foley – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 836 or cfoley@cseaebf.org
The CSEA Employee Benefit Fund also has state benefits specialists to assist state employees with their EBF benefits. Our state representatives are available
to attend information days and membership meetings, give presentations to members about their benefits and answer any questions members may have about their dental and vision coverage and prescription drug co-pay reimbursement benefit.
Long Island, Metropolitan and Southern Regions:
Kylie Somers – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 806 or ksomers@cseaebf.org
Capital, Central and Western Regions:
Melissa Curran – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 808 or mcurran@cseaebf.org
Statewide:
Mike Grogan – 1-800-323-2732, ext. 800 or mgrogan@cseaebf.org
All of this information and much more can be found at cseaebf.com. Our website is regularly updated with new features. You may search for providers in your area and download forms, including
our universal enrollment form, student proof form, the HIPAA authorization form and more. You can also send us an email directly from the website, get the latest news and updates or change your address.
Member run. Member driven. That’s the Employee Benefit Fund.
Is your child off to college this fall? If you’ve made a checklist of items to pack and things to take care of before he or she
goes, you may want to add just one more item — make sure their shots are up to date.
Growing research has found that some groups of college students may be
at a higher risk of contracting bacterial meningitis, and
that risk can be minimized by means of a quick injection.
As Empire Plan enrollees and their eligible dependents gear up for another fall semester, the CSEA Health Benefits Department would
like to remind you that the Empire Plan’s vaccination and immunization benefit was enhanced to include the
meningitis vaccine for dependent children.
Enrollees who
have questions about whether their child has received the meningitis vaccination should contact their doctor’s office.
If you would
like to learn more about the Empire Plan’s vaccination and immunization benefit, including the meningitis vaccine,
please contact United HealthCare, the Empire Plan’s medical/surgical provider, at 1-877-7NYSHIP (1-877- 769-7447).
Get access to the Empire Plan participating provider directory
The Empire Plan Participating Provider Program offers a network of over 275,000 physicians, laboratories and other providers located throughout New York and in many other states.
Each year, the Empire Plan sends postcards to all
plan enrollees across
the United States and
Puerto Rico to let enrollees know they may choose to have
a printed directory
for The Empire Plan Medical/Surgical Program mailed to them.
You can obtain a
printed directory by returning
the participating provider request postcard you receive in the mail. If you would like to receive a directory from a different state or region other than your home zip code, simply write the name of the version you would like on the line provided on the postcard.
September 2018
You can also get a copy of the directory by calling The Empire Plan toll free at 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877- 769-7447) and using option 1 for the Medical Program. A directory will
be mailed within 4-6 weeks of your
request. In addition, customer service representatives can
provide a personalized directory.
To find an Empire Plan participating provider online, visit www.cs.ny.gov/
employee-benefits. If prompted, choose your group and plan, and select
Find a Provider. You can choose from one of the following
programs: Hospital, Medical/Surgical, Mental Health and Substance Abuse or Prescription Drug.
Both enrollees and the plan save when participating providers are used. You pay only the applicable co-payment for most covered services.
The Work Force 17