Health Benefits

City of New York employees, and employees of Participating Employers, hired on or after July 1, 2019, and their eligible dependents, will only be eligible to enroll in the EmblemHealth HIP HMO Preferred Plan, and must remain in the HIP HMO Preferred Plan for the first year (365 days) of employment.

After 365 days of employment, the employee will have the option of either remaining in the HIP HMO Preferred Plan or selecting a different health plan within 30 days before the end of the 365 day period. If a new health plan is selected, the new plan will be effective on the 366th day. Only after the 365th day can the employee participate in any Annual Fall Transfer Period.

An employee who needs to request an exemption from the required enrollment in the HIP HMO Preferred Plan can do so by submitting an Opt-Out Request Form to EmblemHealth. An employee, or eligible dependent, must meet certain criteria and the request must be approved by EmblemHealth before the exemption is granted. The Opt-Out Request Form can be downloaded from the EmblemHealth website at: https://www.emblemhealth.com/content/dam/emblemhealth/pdfs/resources/cny/hip-hmo-preferred/HIPHMO_OptOutRequestForm.pdf.

The Supplemental Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is a unique package of benefits developed by the Retired Teachers Chapter of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT-RTC) exclusively for its members. It provides a supplement to coverage available through city's regular health insurance providers and is activated only after those providers have paid their benefits.

SHIP is a low-cost program to coordinate with most health plans available to retirees of New York City systems. For a modest yearly fee, SHIP will supplement certain payments provided by your New York City health coverage up to a maximum lifetime benefit of $100,000/$10,000 for pre-existing conditions.

SHIP does not require a medical examination for enrollment.

SHIP is separate from your health plan and welfare fund and therefore must be notified of any changes (i.e., death, divorce, marriage). 

Helpful links

• SHIP booklet [effective Jan. 2012]
• SHIP benefits [effective Jan. 2018]
• SHIP claim form You may use old SHIP forms if you have them. Please read the updated instruction page before filling in claim form.
• How to file a SHIP claim form
• Notice to all Medicare eligible SHIP members
• HIPAA Privacy Act form
• SHIP premium notices for those not on automatic deduction

The UFT Welfare Fund has negotiated a new program with EmblemHealth to help UFT-represented employees suffering from the Hepatitis C virus. The program gives access to best-in-class care, while eliminating the hundreds of dollars in drug copays normally associated with Hep C treatment. This benefit is available to all UFT-represented in-service employees and their dependents who receive prescription drug coverage through the UFT Welfare Fund.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, members who choose to be treated for Hepatitis C at NYU Langone Hospital's Hepatitis C Clinic will have access to world-class treatment by a renowned care team that develops treatment plans tailored to each individual patient's needs. Patients will have no drug copay with free at-home delivery of the associated treatment drugs and the NYU specialty pharmacy team will be available to answer calls 24/7.

You can call NYU Langone Hospital's Hepatitis C Clinic now at 212-263-3643 to schedule an appointment for after Jan. 1, 2020, when this benefit goes into effect. If you have any questions, please contact the UFT Welfare Fund at 212-539-0500.

Open enrollment for in-service members (dates are different for retirees) takes place from Friday, Nov. 1, to Saturday, Nov. 30. All changes made during this open enrollment period will be effective Jan. 1, 2020.

During this window, employees may make changes to their existing health care benefits, such as transfer into any city health plan for which they are eligible, add or drop the Optional Rider, or add or drop dependent(s).

For changes to be made at other times of the year, a qualifying event must occur, such as a marriage, birth, adoption, etc., and even for those times, deadlines apply.

Yes, the union's Member Assistance Program (MAP) has trained professional counselors who can guide you through the problems that can put your health and job in jeopardy. Our services are free, confidential, professional and supportive.

As a UFT member, you may receive short-term individual counseling a trained licensed mental health professional through MAP. MAP also offers referrals to outside mental health services that accept your insurance plan. 

Please call MAP at 212-701-9620 to set up an appointment. You can also contact us via email at mapinfo@uft.org. 

In case of an emergency, please call 911. If you need help after hours, please call 1-800-LIFENET, a 24-hour city mental health hotline.