The Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) has approved a new health benefits plan for active employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and their dependents. The New York City Employee PPO Plan, administered by Emblem and United Healthcare, will replace the current GHI plan administered by Emblem and Anthem/Blue Cross starting January 1, 2026. The contract will first be reviewed by the NYC Comptroller and be available for public comment (see below). The plan’s implementation follows two years of negotiations between representatives from the NYC Office of Labor Relations, the MLC, and the insurance companies. The other health plans now offered by the City will continue to be offered. Medicare-eligible retirees and their dependents are not affected by the new NYCE PPO.
Many questions arise when changes are made to health benefits plans. PSC will schedule information sessions for members and announce dates soon. The City will offer an Open Enrollment period from November 1 – November 30, so participants will have time to make an informed decision. Updates will be made to the PSC website, What’s Happening to Our Healthcare?, including an FAQ page. But here are some immediate clarifications.
- Current participants in the GHI plan will automatically be enrolled in the NYCE PPO, and they should experience little to no disruption in access to their physicians, clinical providers, and hospitals.
- There will be no premiums for the 5 years of the contract and no changes from the current GHI CBP plan in copayments and deductibles at least for 2026.
- Hospitals currently in-network will remain in-network at least through 2026, including Memorial Sloan Kettering and Hospital for Special Surgery. There could be changes in later years.
- Over the 5-year contract period with Emblem and United Healthcare, the City may seek to modify elements of the plan. But doing so would require negotiation and agreement from the MLC.
- The supplemental benefits provided to PSC members by our Welfare Fund, such as vision, dental, hearing, and prescription drugs, remain unchanged by the NYCEPPO.
Here is how to find out about the plan and check if your provider or hospital will accept it.
- NYC Office of Labor Relations: https://www.nyc.gov/site/olr/health/healthhome.page
- Emblem Health/United Healthcare: https://go.tpa.com/nyceppo
You can search there for a provider or a facility
Questions: 212-501-4444 (TTY: 711) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F.
FAQ: https://go.tpa.com/nyceppo#FAQ - Call your provider directly and ask if they will be in the network for the new NYC Employee PPO
- If your questions are not answerable with these resources, submit them to the PSC here.
The PSC did not vote in support of this contract, as the majority of MLC unions did. Our concern is that, given the City’s stated goal to save up to $1 billion annually by implementing the plan, union leaders and members should have received more information about the agreement with the insurance companies before a final decision was made. Union representatives were offered one day to review a copy of the contract, which had extensive redactions, and a presentation of the plan did not alleviate our concerns despite illustrating many positive features of the intended design. PSC members are encouraged to submit a public comment urging that the announced plan design remain in place not only for the first year but for all five years of the contract. We do not want the City seeking to diminish the quality of care, increase deductibles, or restrict access in the event that the projected savings are not achieved.
Information about the contract and public comment is available at the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services: https://www.nyc.gov/site/olr/about/about-public-hearings.page
Submit a comment via email to [email protected]. Include the E-Pin 00223N0002KXL in the message. Comments must be submitted before 5:00 pm on November 7, 2025.
Published: October 6, 2025 | Last Modified: November 3, 2025
