It’s that time of year again—the Option Transfer Period—when you can elect what health plan suits you and the needs of your family. This is one of the most important decisions that you will have to make over the course of this year.

Our members have the following options through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). You can move:

• from a NYSHIP HMO to the Empire Plan;
• from the Empire Plan to a NYSHIP HMO; or
• from one NYSHIP HMO to another NYSHIP HMO that has a NYSHIP service area where you live or work.

So, what should you think about when preparing to make this decision? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1) I would recommend using the Choices checklist. This is a great tool to compare Empire Plan benefits to those of an HMO. The checklist can be found at www.cs.state.ny.us. Select Employees, then State Government Employee, then NYSHIP, then Health Benefits and Option Transfer, then Choices 2009.

If you have questions, call the plan directly; telephone numbers are listed in Choices.

2) Make a detailed list of the specific medical needs of you and your family. Also, double check to make sure your physician is in the plan.

3) Review the costs of each medical plan and any out-of-pocket expenses you may incur.

4) Determine what plan offers you the most coverage, flexibility and access to physicians and facilities. Some things to consider: The Empire Plan allows members access to out-of-network providers and facilities, if needed. (Deductibles and copays do apply for out-of-network services with this plan.) Also, the Empire Plan provides access to the Centers of Excellence Programs.

5) Consider your prescription drug formulary. You can access a list of all the drugs that are covered for 2010; the drug formularies for 2010 became available online Oct. 29. (Remember, the Empire Plan formulary changes only once a year; HMO drug formularies may change more frequently.)

Once the 2010 rates are approved, information about the cost of each option will be mailed to your home and will be posted at https://www.cs.state.ny.us. From the home page, choose Benefit Programs then NYSHIP Online and click on United University Professions. Rate information is posted under Health Benefits & Option Transfer.

You will have 30 days from the date your agency receives the rates to transfer from one option to another.

No action is required to keep your current health insurance option.

Don’t forget you can always call the UUP Benefit Trust Fund with any questions about your benefits. We enjoy hearing from you.

— Doreen Bango, UUP Benefits Manager