NYS Civil Service/Employee Benefits Division
SUNY employee health insurance programs are administered by the NY State Department of Civil Service Employee Benefits Division (NYS EBD).
The link below will take you to an external website for the New York State Department of Civil Service Employee Benefits Division which includes comprehensive information about the health insurance/prescription/vision & dental available to employees of Binghamton University.
NYS Civil Service/Employee Benefits Division
Faculty & Staff Health Insurance Options
Benefits-eligible faculty & staff appointments may choose one of the following health plans:
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's)
Hospitalization & medical/surgical care by designated primary care physicians
New York State Empire Plan
Hospitalization via Blue Cross; major medical & surgical via United Health Care
Health Benefits Summaries &
Bi-Weekly Insurance Rates
Visit our Benefits at a Glance page
ANNUAL Option Transfer (AOT) Period
The annual option transfer period is the time in which you can make certain limited changes to your NYSHIP health insurance options. Any changes that are made during this period will be effective with the following calendar year.
The types of changes that are allowed during this option transfer period are:
- Change from one NYSHIP plan to another - for example, The NYS Empire Plan to a NYSHIP approved HMO or vice versa
- Voluntarily cancel your insurance without a qualifying event, and
- Remove otherwise eligible dependents from your plan without a qualifying event, resulting in a change from family to individual coverage
No action is required to keep your current health insurance option.
Pre-Tax Contribution Program
Under the pre-tax contribution program (PTCP), your share of the health insurance
premium may be deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld, which may lower
your taxes.
You are automatically enrolled in PTCP when you became eligible for health insurance,
unless you declined. Your paycheck shows whether or not you are enrolled in PTCP.
- If you are enrolled, your paycheck stub shows Regular Before Tax Health in the Before Tax Deductions column.
- If you are NOT enrolled in PTCP, your paycheck stub shows Regular After Tax Health in the After Tax Deductions column. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld.
Under the IRS rules, if you are enrolled in PTCP, you may change your health insurance deduction during the tax year only with timely notification (within 30 days) of a designated qualifying event.
- You may change your pre-tax selection annually during the Option Transfer Period.
- No action is required to keep your current pre-tax status.
- Visit the SUNY website for more information on PTCP.
Qualifying Events (for health Insurance changes)
You must notify Human Resources within 30 calendar days from the event date for it to be considered a timely qualifying event. Otherwise, a 10-week waiting period from the date paperwork is received in HR will likely apply.
- A change in family status (e.g., marriage, birth, death, divorce, only dependent child attains the maximum age for coverage)
- You no longer live or work within your HMO's NYSHIP service area and therefore you choose another NYSHIP HMO or the Empire Plan.
- Your spouse loses coverage due to termination of employment and you apply for coverage for your spouse under NYSHIP.
- Your spouse has a change in employment status, which results in acquiring or losing eligibility for health insurance coverage.
- You first become eligible for health insurance coverage after the beginning of the tax year.
- Your employment with the State terminates or you retire.
Young Adult Option (YAO)
New York State law (Chapter 240 of the Laws of 2009) allows a young adult child up to age 30 to purchase coverage through his/her parent's group health insurance policy. Click on the link below and review the FAQ's for eligibility criteria.
This notice provides information about NYSHIP's compliance with the law, since your health insurance coverage is provided through NYSHIP's Empire Plan options. Under the law, the young adult's coverage is subject to all terms of the group policy; however, premiums are to be paid by the young adult or his/her parent, not the employer. The premium is the full cost of individual coverage.
