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UnitedHealth Group Customer Support Related to Cyberattack on February 21, 2024

UnitedHealth Group is announcing support for people who may be concerned about their personal data potentially being impacted due to the malicious criminal cyberattack on Change Healthcare on February 21, 2024. UnitedHealth Group, parent company of UnitedHealthcare, owns Change Healthcare.

The Empire Plan utilizes Change Healthcare’s services in a limited capacity for paper prescription claims processing and generating member Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) for Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) claims. In addition, members who utilized LiveHealth Online for telemedicine may have been impacted. Change Healthcare also serves many providers across the nation's healthcare system to support pharmacy claims transactions, medical provider claims processing, provider claim payments, and medical necessity reviews. Therefore, members who manually submit prescription claims, utilize LiveHealth Online, utilized MHSU services or utilize providers who use Change Healthcare's services may have been impacted.

It is likely to take several months of continued analysis before enough information will be available to identify and notify impacted customers and individuals. In the coming months, either UnitedHealth Group or your healthcare provider will send appropriate notifications when the company can confirm the information involved. The Department of Civil Service/NYSHIP does not have a list of providers who use Change Healthcare.

Empire Plan members can visit changecybersupport.com for information and details on resources related to the cyberattack. A dedicated call center has been established to offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years to anyone who is concerned that they may be impacted. The call center also has trained clinicians to provide emotional support services. Given the ongoing investigation and complexity of data review, the call center will not be able to provide any specifics on individual data impacts at this time. The call center can be reached at 1-866-262-5342 from 8:00am to 8:00pm Central Time and additional details can be found on changecybersupport.com  

Important Information about Empire Plan Coverage at St. Peter's Health Partners Facilities

Contract renewal negotiations between UnitedHealthcare (UHC), The Empire Plan’s Medical/Surgical Program administrator, and St. Peter’s Health Partners in New York’s Capital District are underway. The current contract is due to expire effective July 1, 2024 and will terminate effective September 1, 2024 if an agreement cannot be reached.

Most of The Empire Plan’s hospital services are covered under the Hospital Program administered by Anthem Blue Cross, and the UHC/St. Peter’s Health Partners contract negotiations have no effect on those benefits. Should the contract between UHC and St. Peter’s Health Partners terminate, you will still be able to receive in-network Hospital Program coverage at the following Capital District facilities:

• St. Peter’s Hospital (Albany)
• Samaritan Hospital – Albany Memorial Campus (Albany)
• Samaritan Hospital – St. Mary’s Campus (Troy)
• Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital (Schenectady)

The following services, however, are instead covered by The Empire Plan’s Medical/Surgical Program (UnitedHealthcare) when provided in hospital settings operated by St. Peter’s Health Partners:

• preventive lab services
• physical therapy and occupational therapy
• cardiac rehabilitation
• diabetic education

In the event of contract termination, claims for the above-listed services performed at hospitals operated by St. Peter’s Health Partners will continue to be paid at in-network benefit levels through August 31, 2024, as required by New York State law. Beginning September 1, 2024, these claims will instead be processed as non-network (Basic Medical Program) claims, subject to deductible and coinsurance, with the exception of preventive lab services, which will continue to be covered at in-network levels under the Federal No Surprises Act.

Please note that this situation does not impact other services covered under The Empire Plan’s Medical/Surgical Program, such as routine physician visits.

If you have questions/for more information, call 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) and press or say 1 for the Medical/Surgical Program.