CommercialAdministrativeHigh impact
Prepare for New York City Employees (NYCE) PPO plan members
UnitedHealthcare·NY·Program and health plan updates
Effective date
Jan 1, 2026
We identified it
Jan 12, 2026
Summary
The New York City Employees (NYCE) PPO plan is now active as of January 1, 2026, jointly offered by EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare. Billing teams must determine which network and rates to use based on practice location - EmblemHealth for specific NYC area counties or UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus for areas outside those counties.
Action Required
Immediately: Billing teams must verify practice location to determine correct network. For practices in Bronx, Duchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, or Westchester counties - use EmblemHealth network and rates. For all other locations - use UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus network and rates. Update billing system settings accordingly and use NYCE PPO plan provider portal for all plan transactions. Members will present single ID card for medical and lab services.