September 13, 2023 — Effective October 1, 2023, the waiting period for enrollment in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) for newly hired and newly eligible employees drops to 28 days from the current 56.
PEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the state to shorten the waiting period for the Empire Plan, the NYSHIP HMOs, the NYSHIP Vision Care Program and the NYSHIP Dental Program.
“Health insurance benefits help us keep our families healthy and allow us to seek help when we need it most,” said President Wayne Spence. “By shortening the waiting period, we are ensuring families get the coverage they need, as soon as possible. Insurance is a valuable recruitment tool, and this change will go a long way toward bringing in new staff, something that is sorely needed across all our understaffed state agencies.”
Employees hired prior to October 1, 2023, will still need to serve the 56-day initial waiting period.
To enroll in coverage, eligible employees must submit a completed and signed Health Insurance Transaction Form (PS-404) along with the required proofs of eligibility to their agency Health Benefits Administrator (HBA).