Prime Therapeutics
Effective January 1, 2026, all Retirees on the Emblem Health City of NY plan have moved from Express Scripts to Prime Therapeutics for drug coverage. All retirees should have received a new card from Emblem last month and any old cards with the Express Scripts information are no longer valid. If you did not receive a new card from Emblem Health, please contact Emblem at 212-501-4444 to ask for new cards to be mailed to you. Alternatively, you can log into Emblem Health and print temporary cards, so you have access to your Pharmacy plan immediately. If you have moved and did not notify the City of New York, then Emblem Health also has your old address. It is important to update your address with the city by using this form found at the Retiree Change of Address Link and submitting it to the Office of Labor Relations.
All retirees must activate the new Pharmacy Plan with Prime Therapeutics. You can follow this link - City of New York Employees Health Insurance Plans | EmblemHealth
- to watch a video on how to activate your account and learn more about your new Pharmacy Benefit.
Prime Central is your new digital platform to manage your prescription needs. You will have two ways to view your medication details: through the member portal found at this link - https://www.primecentral.com/primecentral/login - or through the Prime Central App which you can find on the apple app or google play stores.
You must activate your account before you can view anything. Click on this link to activate: Activate Your Account.
The Prime Central App will allow you to view your medications, learn how to receive mail order prescriptions and/or find local pharmacies. Your current medications that were previously filled by Express Scripts will all be present in the new Prime Central portal and app. Your Emblem Health insurance information has been pre-loaded into your portal. If you have any medication related questions with Prime Central, you may contact them at 833-998-5351.
If you experience any technical issues for logging in to Prime Central, call their technical assistance line at 866-394-0513.
Pre-Medicare Retirees
Pre-Medicare Retirees have also been transitioned to a new medical plan. One card from EmblemHealth/UnitedHealthCare now contains medical and hospital coverage. This account must be activated by downloading the NYCE PPO app or using the member portal at www.nyceppo.com. To view a recording of a recent webinar that the CSA Welfare Fund hosted with Emblem Health, click here. Once you complete the brief registration, you will be able to view the recorded session. If you attended the live session, you do not need to register again and will be taken directly to the recorded session.
If you did not receive new cards for each member of your family, contact Emblem Health at 212-501-4444 to request cards. If you have moved and have not notified the City you must change your address with the Office of Labor Relations by completing this form: Retiree Change of Address Link
CSA News
Please click here for the most recent issue of the CSA News. Paper copies are also being mailed to the address on file.
State Testimony on AI
On December 17, 2025, CSA submitted testimony for a State Assembly hearing on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on New York’s Workforce. Click here to read that full testimony.
Teachers Retirement System Required Minimum Distribution
Our Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is a 403B. Similar to an IRA or a 401K or a 457. All are retirement instruments, but they each come with different rules and regulations. For those who must take an RMD, TRS sent a letter to you in April informing you of the amount you must take with a 10% federal tax withholding. If you chose to take more than the stated dollar amount or change the tax deduction or get it sooner, you needed to inform TRS prior to October. For those who chose to wait until the last possible moment so you can get the most interest, payment will be in the account that you receive your pension payment. If you still get your pension check in the mail, this too will be mailed in a check as well.
SS 1099
For those of us that collect Social Security, the Social Security Administration has mailed out your 2025 1099’s. You are going to need this form to calculate your taxes for 2025 as well as, if you paid an IRMAA, to provide a copy to the Office of Labor Relations (OLR) when you request your IRMAA reimbursement. OLR will provide their form sometime in April 2026. Do not submit the benefits letter that you received last month— that will be for your IRMAA reimbursement request in 2026. Put these forms in a folder. The trick will be to remember where you put that folder.
Medical Deductibles
As a reminder, as it is the start of a new year, Medicare has an annual deductible of $288.00, and Emblem has an annual deductible of $50.00. The monthly premium for Part B is going up to $206.50 per month. If you are collecting social security, this will be deducted from your monthly payment. If you are on Medicare but not yet collecting social security, you will be billed. Whether you pay by check, credit card or direct deposit, save those proofs of payment.