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Child Health Plus (CHPlus)

Father and son playing dinosaurs

Child Health Plus is a health insurance program for children in New York. A child does not have to be a citizen or legal resident to qualify for CHPlus. Participation in this program will not affect any future immigration status.

To be eligible, they must:

  • Be younger than age 19
  • Be ineligible for Medicaid
  • Not have other health insurance coverage
  • If you live in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Dutchess, Manhattan, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Staten Island, Suffolk, Ulster, or Westchester County, your children may be able to get CHPlus through Empire. We’ll even help you apply!

What you get with Empire

Doctor check up patient

Visits to the doctor

$0

Toothpaste and brush

Dental checkups

$0

Eye chart

Eye exams and glasses

$0

Prescription pills

Low-cost prescriptions

$0


There are no copays for covered services, including:

  • Primary care provider (PCP) visits
  • Immunizations and wellness visits
  • Specialist visits
  • Urgent care
  • Emergency care
  • Lab and X-ray services
  • Pregnancy services
  • Family planning
  • Hospital care
  • Physical therapy
  • Speech and hearing services
  • Behavioral health care
  • Autism spectrum disorder services

See your member handbook for a full list of benefits in your plan.

We believe that good dental care is important to your overall health care. There are no copays for covered dental services, including:

  • Teeth cleaning twice a year
  • Oral exams
  • X-rays
  • Extractions
  • Fillings
  • Emergency care
  • Dentures (removable or partial)
  • Orthodontics

See your member handbook for a full list of benefits in your plan.

Empire offers dental care through LIBERTY Dental, an expert in providing high quality dental services. To find or change your dentist, call LIBERTY Dental at 1-833-276-0847, or visit their website.

Go to LIBERTY Dental

There are no copays for covered vision benefits, including:

  • One eye exam each year
  • Prescription glasses each year
  • Contact lenses (if medically necessary)

See your member handbook for a full list of benefits in your plan.

Healthy Rewards is a no-cost, optional program for eligible members enrolled in our health plan. The program encourages members to get the care they need to improve their health and create a healthy lifestyle.

Members can redeem these Healthy Rewards through the Benefit Reward Hub:

  • Up to $40 for high blood pressure medication refills
  • $50 for a diabetic retinal eye exam
  • $5 for completing a What do you know about diabetes? quiz
  • Up to $50 for viral load tests with their HIV care team
  • $50 for spirometry testing for COPD
  • $50 for a breast cancer screening (mammogram)
  • $50 for a colorectal cancer screening
  • $25 for a cervical cancer screening (Pap smear)
  • $25 for a chlamydia screening
  • $25 for a follow-up visit with their provider within seven days of a behavioral health hospitalization
  • $25 for yearly well-child visits
  • $25 for yearly childhood dental visits
  • $25 for Combo 2 adolescent immunizations (shots)
  • $25 for Combo 3 childhood immunizations (shots)
  • Up to $40 for ADHD medication refills
  • $25 for pregnant members who go to a prenatal visit in their first trimester, or within 42 days of joining our plan
  • $50 for a postpartum visit within 7-84 days of delivering their baby
  • $50 for six well-baby visits within the first 15 months of life
  • Up to $40 for two well-baby visits between 15 and 30 months of life

Log in to the Benefit Reward Hub to redeem your Healthy Rewards. You can also call the Healthy Rewards Customer Service Line at 888-990-8681 (TTY 711) Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. 

If you need help setting up your Empire online account, call Member Services at the number on your Empire member ID card.

Access Healthy Rewards

Your benefits include a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. We work with CarelonRx to provide these benefits. There are no copays for covered drugs.

Visit the pharmacy page to find a pharmacy near you and check if your medicine is on the Preferred Drug List (PDL).

Go to Pharmacy page

Referrals

Some services need a referral from your primary care provider (PCP) before getting care. When you need a referral, your PCP will sign a referral form and send you to a doctor in your plan.

You will need to get a referral from your PCP before:

  • Going to a hospital for nonemergency care
  • Getting medicine from a doctor other than your PCP

You do not need a referral for:

  • Women’s health care
  • Pregnancy services
  • Family planning services
  • Emergency services
  • School-based health center services
  • Behavioral health and substance use disorder services
  • Certain doctors for children with special health care needs

Preapprovals

Some services require preapproval or prior authorization. This means that you or your doctor must ask Empire to approve those services or benefits before you get them.

You will need preapproval for:

  • Ambulance transportation (emergency air and nonemergency)
  • Chiropractic services
  • Diagnostic testing
  • Durable medical equipment
  • End-stage renal disease services
  • Home health extended services for people age 20 and younger
  • Hospice services
  • Inpatient acute care hospitalization
  • Certain medicines
  • Mental health rehab services
  • Nurse-midwifery services
  • Organ transplant services
  • Outpatient hospital services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and surgical procedures
  • Physician services, such as medical assessments, treatments and surgical services
  • Podiatry services
  • Post-stabilization care services
  • Radiology services
  • Rehabilitation services: physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy

Already a member? We're glad you chose Empire.

Mom kissing daughter

We want you to understand your benefits and receive the best possible care. Here are some resources to help.

Member handbook

Complete benefit information can be found in your member handbook.

Pharmacy Benefits Guides

Community Service Centers

We’ll help arrange for you and your family to get the benefits you need to get and stay healthy. Come talk to us at any one of our Community Service Centers.

Find the nearest center

Member Services

If you have any questions, call Member Services at 1-800-300-8181 (TTY 711). Our team is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also log in to your account to send us a message at any time.

Send us a message

24/7 NurseLine

Whether it’s 3 a.m. or a Sunday afternoon, health issues come up. That’s why you can always call our 24/7 NurseLine and speak directly to a nurse. Call 1-800-300-8181 (TTY 711) anytime, day or night.

 
 
NurseLine illustration

24/7 NurseLine

Whether it’s 3 a.m. or a Sunday afternoon, health issues come up. That’s why you can always call our 24/7 NurseLine and speak directly to a nurse. Call 1-800-300-8181 (TTY 711) anytime, day or night.

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