The Daily Bulletin

Each November, enrollees in the NYS Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) may elect to participate or decline participation in the Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) for the upcoming plan year. During November, current PTCP enrollees may also make the following changes to their coverage, which affect the NYSHIP deduction for the upcoming plan year, without a qualifying event:

• Change pre-tax status for health insurance deductions
• Change from family to individual coverage
• Voluntarily cancel health insurance

If you are enrolled in PTCP, your share of the health insurance premium is deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld, which may lower your taxes. Enrollment in PTCP also restricts changes that can be made to the NYSHIP coverage (e.g., switching to individual coverage) to situations in which a qualifying event takes place. Not enrolling in PTCP allows greater flexibility to make changes to NYSHIP coverage throughout the plan year.

Your paycheck shows whether or not you are enrolled in PTCP.

If you are enrolled in PTCP, your paycheck stub shows Regular Before-Tax Health in the Before-Tax Deductions section. If you are not enrolled in PTCP, your paycheck stub shows Regular After-Tax Health in the After-Tax Deductions section. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld.

November 1–30 is the only time you can change your Pre-Tax Contribution Program election.

For more information about PTCP and the allowable coverage changes while enrolled in PTCP, please refer to the PTCP fact sheet (PDF, 334 KB).

If you wish to change your PTCP selection for 2019, you must file a NYS Health Insurance Transaction Form (PDF, 78 KB)—completing sections 1–9 and 13—with the Benefits Office, Cleveland Hall 410, by Friday, November 30.

No action is required to keep your current PTCP status.

Please note: This is not the Option Transfer Period for health insurance changes. Plan information and rates have not been made available at this time. Please watch for further announcements regarding option transfer.