Time to make
important decisions about your benefits
By Lorraine Simpkins
The annual option transfer period, which begins on
November 1, is the time for you to make important
decisions about your health benefits. During the option
transfer period, you may change your health insurance
option for the next calendar year, as well as change your
Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) enrollment.
The deadline for changing your health plan option is 30
days from the date your agency receives the premium rates
from Civil Service. You will be sent a flyer indicating
the premium contribution for each of the health plans,
and the deadline for changing your health plan option.
The rates will also be posted on the Civil Service Web
site at www.cs.state.ny.us.
Change your
health plan
If you are considering changing your health plan during
the option transfer period, you should do the following:
1. Do your research now. Don't wait until the rates are
sent to you to begin gathering the information you will
need to make your decision.
2. If you would like some tips on how to choose a health
plan, get the Choosing Your Health Plan flyer from your
agency health benefits administrator (HBA). The HBA is
usually located in the personnel office. Choosing Your
Health Plan explains the different health plans available
to state employees, compares the Empire Plan with the HMO
options, and offers suggestions for considering cost and
quality when choosing a health plan.
We’ve also posted an article on the PEF Web site at
www.pef.org to help members figure out which health care
plan is best. Click on “Health Benefits.”
3. If you want to compare the benefits provided by the
different health plan options, get the Health Insurance
Choices for 2004 guide from your HBA. The guide explains
the options available to you and contains descriptions of
all the health plans.
4. If you would like a “report card” rating
HMOs in New York, check out these Web sites:
• The NYS Insurance Department at www.ins.state.ny.us. Click on “Consumers” and then
scroll down and click on “Health.” The report
card is titled, “2002 New York Consumer Guide to
HMOs.”
• The New York State Health Accountability
Foundation at www.nyshaf.org. Click on “annual NYS HMO
Report Card.”
Change your PTCP participation
The Pre-Tax Contribution Program allows you to have your
health insurance premiums deducted from your pay before
taxes are taken out. Participation may lower your taxes.
You were automatically enrolled in this program when you
became eligible for health insurance, unless you declined
to participate. Your paycheck stub shows whether you
enrolled in PTCP. “Regular Before Tax Health”
will appear in the Before Tax Deductions column if your
health insurance premium is deducted from your wages
before taxes are withheld. “Regular After Tax
Health” will appear in the After Tax Deductions
column if your health insurance premium is deducted from
your wages after taxes are withheld.
Choose your pre-tax status carefully. Under Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) rules, there can be no change in
your premium deduction once the amount is set for the tax
year, unless the change stems from a qualifying event.
This means that you cannot make the following two changes
outside the annual option transfer period:
• Change from family to individual coverage while
your dependents are still eligible for coverage; or
• Voluntarily cancel your coverage while you are
still eligible for coverage
If you want to change your pre-tax selection for 2004,
you must see your HBA and complete a health insurance
transaction form (PS404) no later than November 30. No
action is required if you wish to keep your current
status.
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