The world of health insurance may seem scary, but it’s nothing to worry about when you have the right information. The Gold Plan is a comprehensive health insurance plan for all City of New York employees, as well as their qualified domestic partners and eligible dependents. Non-Medicare eligible retirees may also be eligible. The Gold Plan provides access to tens of thousands of doctors across the city, 40+ hospitals, and 110+ urgent care locations.
If you leave your job voluntarily, you will lose your employer-paid health insurance benefits. If you’re laid off, you have options to get health insurance coverage from MetroPlusHealth.
If you retire and you’re 65 or older, and you meet the other requirements, you can sign up for Medicare to receive health insurance benefits.
If you don’t qualify for Medicare, you may be eligible to keep your Gold plan. However, if you leave your job with the City of New York for a new employer, you must choose a different health insurance plan.
A health insurance plan is a type of insurance coverage that provides financial coverage for medical expenses. The details of what benefits, expenses, and services are covered will depend on your health plan. Joining a health insurance plan helps prevent the financial shock of paying for a major or unexpected medical expense out-of-pocket.
No, typically, employees cannot deduct health insurance premiums from their taxes if their plan is employer-sponsored. That means if you receive health insurance benefits through your employer, your monthly payment toward that is not tax deductible.
However, the basic Gold plan does not have premiums for its members.
A city worker is someone employed by the City of New York. Some of these include employees of the New York Police Department, Fire Department of New York, Department of Sanitation, Parks Department, the Department of Education, Department of Transportation, and more. It includes administrative, maintenance and uniformed roles.
If you are a NYC worker, you’re eligible for the MetroPlusHealth Gold Plan. You can call 877-475-3795 to speak to a customer service representative to have health insurance explained to you. They will describe how health insurance works with the Gold Plan and help you enroll.
You may be able to change your health plan after open enrollment if you qualify for a special enrollment period. A special enrollment period is available for people who have had a recent life event, such as losing other health coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby. You usually have 60 days from the date of the life event to enroll in a new plan, but you should report your change as soon as possible to ensure there’s no lapse in your health insurance benefits.
You also have the opportunity to change your health insurance plan once a year during Fall Transfer, which is typically throughout the month of November.
The Gold Plan does not cover dental care or routine eye care, and typically, NYC employees get dental and vision coverage through their union benefits.
Many city employees get prescription drug coverage through their union. Those that don’t can purchase a prescription drug rider with the Gold Plan. The Gold Plan also comes with a prescription drug discount program that covers over 100 prescription drugs including certain antidepressants, cholesterol, and blood pressure medications.
Pick the coverage that’s right for you