As you may be aware, the NYS Employee Benefits Division (EBD) of the Department of Civil Service is conducting a “Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit” (DEVA) to ensure that only eligible dependents are enrolled in employees’ family health insurance coverage, similar to the audit conducted in 2009.  Notices about this began being mailed to enrollees’ homes in December, 2015.

The next phase of DEVA begins July 5 and will continue through August 19.  During this phase, enrollees with family coverage will be required to provide documentation of eligibility for their dependents covered under NYSHIP.

If eligibility was verified for a natural child, a stepchild or a child of a domestic partner in the 2009 audit, you will not be asked to verify the child's status during the current audit. However, you will be required to submit documents for other dependents, such as spouses or domestic partners, even if you have previously done so.

If you have family coverage, you should receive a  verification letter that will provide instructions regarding required documentation for any covered dependents that you must verify eligibility for, the process to submit this information and the deadline.

It is very important that enrollees respond and provide copies of acceptable proofs of eligibility (such as birth certificates or marriage certificates) in a timely manner during their verification phase.  Dependents of enrollees who fail to respond by deadline will be removed from coverage retroactively to January 1, 2016.  In addition, enrollees may be responsible for repaying all health insurance claims for ineligible dependents as early as the date the dependent became ineligible.