Health Benefits Program

What are the requirements for eligibility for health benefits?

To be eligible for participation in the City Health Benefits Program, employees must meet both of the following criteria:

You work, on a regular schedule, at least 20 hours per week, and
Your appointment is expected to last for more than six months.

Dependents are eligible if their relationship to the eligible participant is one of the following:

A legally married spouse, but never an ex-spouse.
A domestic partner at least 18 years of age, living together with the participant in a current continuous and committed relationship, although not related by blood to the participant in a manner that would bar marriage in New York State. More details concerning eligibility and tax consequences are available from your agency or the Office of Labor Relations Domestic Partnership Liaison Unit at 212.306.7605.
Children under age 26 (whether married or unmarried), unless the child has been deemed as an eligible disabled child.

What if I choose not to take health benefits at this time?

If you wish to waive your health coverage, you must complete a Health Benefits Program application and check "Waive Benefits" at the top of the application. If you are eligible for coverage through a non-city group health coverage, you may be entitled to participate in the Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Program. This program entitles all eligible employees to receive a cash incentive payment for waiving their city health benefits.

Contact the Flexible Spending Program Administrative Office for any questions or information about the Medical Spending Conversion Program at 212.306.7760.

How do I add dependents to my health coverage?

To add dependents, employees are required to provide acceptable documentation to support the eligibility status of all persons to be covered on their city health plan coverage.

If you are including a spouse on your coverage, and you have been married for more than one year, you must submit a government issued marriage certificate and federal tax return from the last two years (only send the first page of your tax return which shows your spouse) or proof of joint ownership issued within the last six months (with both names) such as a mortgage statement, lease agreement, utility bills, bank statement, credit card statements and property tax statements.

If you are including a domestic partner on your coverage, and you have been registered for more than one year, you must submit a government-issued Certificate of Domestic Partnership and proof of joint ownership issued within the last six months (with both names) such as a mortgage statement, lease agreement, utility bills, bank statement, credit card statements, or property tax statements.

When can I transfer health plans?

In order to transfer from one plan to another or to add optional rider coverage, and to obtain the effective date of the change, the employee must contact the Human Resources Office, 1219 Boylan Hall, during the Annual Transfer Period. Once your transfer request is submitted, your change is irrevocable.