City of New York offers Medicare Advantage option in 2022

The City of New York has awarded their group retiree business to Retiree Health Alliance, an alliance between Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) and EmblemHealth. Effective January 1, 2022, approximately 240,000 Medicare-eligible City of New York retirees will transition to Retiree Health Alliance’s NYC Medicare Advantage Plus plan.

 

The NYC Medicare Advantage Plus plan is a Medicare Advantage PPO plan that allows retirees to receive services from both in-network and out-of-network providers. Out-of-network providers must be eligible to receive Medicare payment. Under this new plan, City of New York retirees will have no difference in cost share for both in-network and out-of-network services. NYC Medicare Advantage Plus offers the same hospital and medical benefits Medicare covers, as well as additional benefits Medicare does not provide, such as an annual routine physical exam, hearing exams, health and fitness tracker, LiveHealth Online,* and SilverSneakers.*

 

In the coming months, provider education materials and training opportunities specific to the NYC Medicare Advantage Plus plan will be made available to all providers in both Empire’s and EmblemHealth’s Medicare Advantage networks.

 

We look forward to furthering our mission to materially and measurably improve the health of all New Yorkers through this opportunity, in partnership with the City of New York and EmblemHealth.

 

* LiveHealth Online is the trade name of Health Management Corporation, an independent company, providing telehealth services on behalf of Empire BlueCross BlueShield and EmblemHealth. Tivity Health, Inc. is an independent company providing the SilverSneakers fitness program on behalf of Empire BlueCross BlueShield and EmblemHealth.

EmblemHealth insurance plans are underwritten by EmblemHealth Plan, Inc., EmblemHealth Insurance Company, and Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP). EmblemHealth Services Company, LLC provides administrative services to EmblemHealth companies. The EmblemHealth companies are separate companies from Empire BlueCross BlueShield.

 

EBSCARE-0654-21 July 2021