HEALTH INSURANCE

coverage is through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP).   For a summary of the health insurance plans available and the biweekly premium amount for each health insurance plan please visit the web site https://www.cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits/nyship/group/1/12/1/health-benefits.cfm and view the health insurance choices and the NYSHIP rates publications. Also, you may view the At a Glance publication that summarizes the Empire Plan and the “NYSHIP General Information Book”, which contains the rules of the NYS Health Insurance Program through the website above.

Please click on the following link for the NYS Health Insurance Transaction Form (PS-404), https://www.cs.ny.gov/forms/ps404.pdf .  You must complete this form to:

Enroll in a health insurance plan

Family health insurance coverage consists of you plus one or more eligible dependents.  Eligible Dependents include the following:

1. Spouse
   
2. Domestic Partner pending approval
   
3. Your child/stepchild until age 26
   
4. Child for whom you have legal responsibility in place of the parent
   
5. Disabled dependent who reaches age 26 pending approval
   
6. See eligibility requirements in the NYSHIP General Information Book for additional types of dependent
   

Each year there will be an option transfer period (usually announced during November/December), during which you may change your health insurance plan, if you choose to do so, to another plan for the following calendar year.

There is a 42 calendar day waiting period, (including weekends), before your health insurance becomes effective regardless of the health plan you select.  With this in mind, you may wish to extend any health insurance coverage that you may currently have in order to protect yourself against unforeseen medical expenses.

Your biweekly payroll deductions for health insurance may be paid with pre-tax contributions or post-tax contributions.  The choice is yours.  Choosing to participate in the pre-tax contribution program will result in less taxable income and therefore, less income tax due, by an amount equal to your biweekly cost of health insurance coverage.  Please refer to the Pre-Tax Contribution Program section of the NYSHIP General Information Book for pre-tax rules.

             OR 

Decline coverage 

Required Documentation

The Employee Benefits Division requires documentation of your birth and Social Security number if you are enrolling in a health insurance plan.  Dependent proof is also needed for enrolling in family coverage.  Copies of proper documentation must be submitted to the Benefits Office within your initial 42 calendar days of hire in order to complete the enrollment process timely.   The following items are needed:

1. Copy of birth certificate and social security card for you
   
2. Copy of birth certificate for each dependent you are enrolling
   
3. Copy of marriage certificate, if applicable
   
4. Proof of marriage if married over 1 year. (Document showing joint ownership/joint financial obligation which may be the 1st page of recent tax return, joint bill or bank statement dated within six months and includes your current home address).
   
5. Statement of Dependence Form if requesting coverage for a dependent child that is not your child/stepchild.  Form available upon request.
   
6. Domestic Partner Application if you wish to cover a partner of same or opposite sex.  Application available upon request and submission by appointment.
   
7. Statement of Disability Form if requesting coverage for a disabled dependent.  Form available upon request
   

To help speed up the processing of your health insurance transaction form we ask that you bring a copy of the required documentation with you to orientation.  We must be able to see the stamp or seal on the copy of the certificate(s). Hospital birth certificates and church marriage certificates are not acceptable. 

Please be aware:  

Health insurance enrollment requests will remain in pending status until the required documentation is submitted to the Benefits Office, (i.e. copy of birth certificate and social security card for you and documentation for your dependents, if applicable).  Late submissions will be subject to the late enrollment period of five pay periods.

Changes to your health insurance coverage must be made timely in order to avoid a delay in coverage for your dependents.  Please refer to the changing to family coverage section of the NYSHIP General Information Book for rules regarding the timeframe to add new dependents in order to avoid the late enrollment period.  (For example, newborns must be added within 30 days of birth in order to have coverage effective as of the newborn’s date of birth, and a new spouse must be added within 7 days of the date of marriage in order to have coverage effective the date of marriage. )  If you anticipate a change is needed to your coverage contact the Benefits Office as soon as possible.

Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) – NYSHIP offers coverage that meets ACA standards, therefore most employees are not eligible for a government subsidy to help pay for insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace.  For additional information you may visit www.healthcare.gov .

RETIREMENT PROGRAM – Employees who join on or after 4/1/12 will be in Tier 6: 

1.   Joining a retirement program is required for full time staff. Residents and part time staff enrollment is optional.
   
2. You may choose to participate in the N.Y.S. Employees Retirement System (requires 10 year vesting period if joining on or after 1/1/2010), the Optional Retirement Program (366 day vesting period) provided you are full time, part time term or have prior ORP membership with SUNY or the N.Y.S Teachers Retirement System (requires 10 year vesting if joining on or after 1/1/2010) if you are in a designated title.
   
3. Employee contribution of 3 – 6% based on earnings. 
   
4. If you elect to participate in the Optional Retirement Program, you will also need to select your investment provider(s) and enter the percentage to be allocated to the investment provider(s) using the Retirement@work system.  Date of participation is based on date of election, not the hire date, for those who do not make an election within 30 days of hire.  Participation in this program may not be an option for those who do not make an election through Retirement@Work within 30 calendar days of hire.
   
5. Complete the Employees’ Retirement System Membership Registration Form (RS 5420) only if you elect the NYS Employees’ Retirement System and return it to the Benefits Office.  Date of membership is based on when the Retirement System issues the member registration number.
   
6. If you do not wish to participate in a retirement program (Residents/Part time staff), in addition to making your election to decline retirement using “Retirement@work”, please complete and return the Survivor’s Benefit Program form, (which must be notarized), to the Benefits Office within 30 days of your hire.   The form allows you to designate a beneficiary for this benefit. If you elect to participate in retirement, do not complete this form.   Additional information about the Survivor’s Benefit Program is below. 
   

You can visit http://www.suny.edu/retirement/ to view a comparison of the two programs, SUNY Retirement Programs Booklet and Optional Retirement Program Booklet.  You may make your election to participate or decline retirement by visiting www.retirementatwork.org/suny within 30 days of your hire. First time users will be required to register, (enter personal data, create a user ID, password and security question), prior to making a retirement election. Be sure to select the correct employer when prompted, which is Stony Brook Medicine.

For assistance with using Retirement@work please call Customer Service at 866-271-0960.

Please Note:

1. Should you elect to participate in a retirement program your contributions will be made on a before-tax basis for federal taxes only. 
   

1. Upon separation from service your contributions are refundable from ERS if you do not qualify for a retirement allowance - have less than 10 years of service credit.  
   
2. Contributions to the ORP may be refunded upon separation from service.  
   
3. Refunds are subject to federal tax. The Internal Revenue Service imposes a 10% tax penalty on refunds if you are not retirement age and do not roll the contributions over into an Individual Retirement Account.
   

DENTAL INSURANCE& VISION CARE -

TAX DEFERRED SAVINGS PROGRAM

ROTH ACCOUNTS

DEPENDENT CARE ADVANTAGE ACCOUNT 

HEALTH CARE SPENDING ACCOUNT

SURVIVOR’S BENEFIT PROGRAM

SAVINGS BONDS

NEW YORK’S COLLEGE SAVINGS PROGRAM

WORK-LIFE SERVICES

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE 

LONG TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE

Please Note:

If you elect the New York State Employees’ Retirement System complete the attached Employees’ Retirement System Membership Registration Form.  

If you decline retirement participation at this time complete and have notarized the Survivor’s Benefit Program Form.

Benefits forms and documentation may be mailed, faxed, e-mailed or submitted in person. Notarized forms cannot be faxed or e-mailed. See contact information at the bottom of this document.

Monitor your paycheck information using the SOLAR System throughout the year to be sure health insurance premiums and retirement contributions are being deducted properly if you are enrolled in these benefits. 

During your orientation session, we will be available to answer your questions regarding the benefit programs.  Please review the benefit material we have provided to you so you may make informed decisions about your benefits participation.