Health Insurance Carriers in NY Guide to Coverage

Author

Reads 274

Two adults jogging on Brooklyn Bridge with city skyline in the background, showcasing health and vitality.
Credit: pexels.com, Two adults jogging on Brooklyn Bridge with city skyline in the background, showcasing health and vitality.

If you're a New Yorker looking for health insurance, you're in luck - New York has a robust market with many carriers to choose from.

In New York, there are 21 health insurance carriers that offer individual and family plans, making it a competitive market.

Some of the largest carriers in the state include Empire BlueCross BlueShield, UnitedHealthcare, and Healthfirst.

Health Insurance Carriers in NY

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) offers a range of health insurance plans, including HMO, PPO, and POS plans, with a large network of doctors and hospitals in New York.

BCBS is committed to providing quality care to its customers and is also a leader in innovation, offering online and mobile tools to make it easy for members to manage their healthcare.

Twelve insurers offer Marketplace coverage in New York, including BCBS, Aetna, and Cigna, with all 12 planning to continue offering coverage in 2025.

Aetna offers a wide range of health insurance plans in New York, including HMO, EPO, PPO, and POS plans, as well as Medicare HMO and PPO plans, and even offers plans specifically for Long Island locations.

For more insights, see: Bcbs Offering

Credit: youtube.com, NY State of Health - Picking a Health Plan That's Right for You

Optum participates in several New York State Exchange Plans, including Affinity Essential, BCBS HealthPlus Essential/Gatekeeper, and CDPHP.

Here are some of the health insurance carriers in NY:

  • Aetna
  • Affinity by Molina Healthcare
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
  • Cigna
  • ConnectiCare
  • Coventry
  • EmblemHealth Insurance Company
  • EmblemHealth Plan, Inc.
  • Fidelis Care
  • First Health
  • Great-West Healthcare
  • Healthfirst
  • Health Insurance Plan of Greater Network (HIP)
  • MagnaCare
  • Medicare
  • MultiPlan
  • Northwell Direct
  • Oscar
  • Oxford
  • Partners Health Plan
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • UnitedHealthcare
  • Optum

Other Carriers

Optum participates in several New York State Exchange Plans, including Affinity Essential, BCBS HealthPlus Essential/Gatekeeper, CDPHP, Fidelis, and HealthFirst Leaf Plans or Qualified Health Plans.

Aetna offers a wide range of health insurance plans in New York, including HMO, PPO, and POS plans, as well as Aetna Saving Plus plans with reduced rates.

UnitedHealthcare is a popular health insurance option in New York, offering HMO, PPO, and POS plans, and having a large network of doctors and hospitals in the state.

Fidelis Care offers Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, Essential Plans, HealthierLife (HARP), and Ambetter Qualified Health Plans in New York.

Healthfirst offers Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, Personal Wellness Plan (HARP), Basic Health Plan, Essential Plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, Qualified Health Plans, Commercial Plans, and Dual Advantage Plans in New York.

MagnaCare, Northwell Direct, and Oxford are other health insurance carriers operating in New York.

Here are some of the other carriers mentioned in the article section facts:

  • Affinity by Molina Healthcare
  • Centivo
  • Cigna
  • ConnectiCare
  • Coventry
  • EmblemHealth Insurance Company
  • EmblemHealth Plan, Inc.
  • First Health
  • Great-West Healthcare
  • Medicare
  • MultiPlan
  • Partners Health Plan
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • The New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP)
  • UnitedHealthcare

Dental

Credit: youtube.com, Dentist Explains How to Choose Dental Insurance? | Which Dental Insurance Is Best? | Dr. Nate

Dental insurance is available to support your needs, and you can choose a dentist from a preferred network.

New York Health Insurance Brokers can help you find coverage for a dentist you like to go to.

If you don't have a dentist, they can walk you through available options in your area.

Types of Plans

In New York, you can choose from various types of health insurance plans offered by different carriers. Aetna, for example, offers HMO, EPO, and PPO plans, as well as Medicare HMO and PPO plans.

Aetna's plans include HMO, Health Network Only HMO, Select EPO, Open Access Elect Choice EPO, Quality Point of Service, Managed Choice POS, and more.

Here's a breakdown of some common types of plans:

Some carriers, like Cigna, offer a range of plan types, including HMO, POS, PPO, and EPO plans.

Ambetter Plans

Ambetter offers a range of health insurance plans in New York, including HMO, PPO, and POS options.

Credit: youtube.com, How Does Ambetter's Coverage Vary by Location and Plan Type? - InsuranceGuide360.com

These plans are designed to provide quality care to customers, with a large network of doctors and hospitals available.

Ambetter is also known for its innovative approach, offering online and mobile tools to make managing healthcare easier.

Here are some specific plan options to consider:

  • HMO plans
  • PPO plans
  • POS plans

Ambetter's commitment to quality care and innovation makes it a top choice for many New Yorkers.

Emblem Plans

Emblem Plans offer a range of options for health insurance coverage in New York. EmblemHealth is a major insurance provider in the state, with a network of over 130,000 providers across the tri-state region.

EmblemHealth's Prime Network gives employees access to a vast network of healthcare providers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. This network includes over 130,000 providers, covering the five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties.

EmblemHealth offers a variety of health insurance plans, including EPO, HMO, and PPO options. Their Platinum EPO plan offers national coverage, while their Platinum HMO plan has a regional network.

Here are some of the key features of EmblemHealth's plans:

  • Platinum EPO (National network)
  • Platinum HMO (Regional network)
  • Gold EPO (National network)
  • Gold HMO (Regional network)
  • Silver EPO (National network)
  • Silver HMO (Regional Network)
  • Bronze EPO (National network)
  • Bronze HMO (Regional network)

Marketplace and Exchange

Credit: youtube.com, What Is The HealthCare.gov Health Insurance Marketplace?

If you're looking for health insurance in New York, you can enroll in a standard, Empire BlueCross BlueShield Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant plan through the New York State of Health Marketplace. For assistance with plan information, please contact your broker or call 844-285-2036.

Twelve insurers offer 2024 qualified health plans on the New York exchange, and all 12 insurers plan to continue to offer coverage in 2025. You can find the list of insurers in the article.

The average weighted average rate increase for individual/family health plans in New York for 2025 is 12.7%. This means that the overall cost of health insurance plans will increase by 12.7% next year. Here's a breakdown of the rate increases for each insurer:

The majority of people who enroll through NY State of Health are enrolled in the Essential Plan, which has no premiums. This plan is available if household income is up to 250% of the federal poverty level.

Insurance Options

Credit: youtube.com, Top 3 Health Insurance Providers in New York City, New York

Twelve insurers offer 2024 qualified health plans on the New York exchange, with the same number offering Essential Plan coverage for 2024.

All 12 insurers plan to continue to offer coverage in 2025, giving New Yorkers a stable choice of health insurance providers.

By early May 2024, enrollment in QHPs through NY State of Health had dropped to 233,151, due to the expansion of Essential Plan eligibility starting in April.

This expansion allowed people with household income between 200% and 250% of FPL to transition from QHPs to the Essential Plan, reducing QHP enrollment.

More than 2 million people in New York had been disenrolled from Medicaid by June 2024, with some transitioning to QHPs in the Marketplace, contributing to the 2024 enrollment growth.

Nearly 84,000 New York residents had transitioned from Medicaid to a qualified health plan in the Marketplace by April 2024.

New York's Basic Health Program (BHP) covers far more people than the QHPs in the state, with nearly 1.4 million people enrolled in New York's BHP as of May 2024.

Worth a look: Bcbs Network S

Premiums and Coverage

Credit: youtube.com, How insurance premiums and deductibles work

The average weighted rate increase for individual/family health plans in New York for 2025 is 12.7%, with some insurers increasing their rates by as much as 35.6%.

Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (Emblem) had the largest rate increase at 35.6%, while UnitedHealthcare of New York had no rate increase. Here's a breakdown of the rate increases for each insurer:

The majority of people who enroll through NY State of Health are enrolled in the Essential Plan, which has no premiums.

Short-Term Coverage

Short-term coverage is a temporary health insurance option for consumers who may find themselves without comprehensive coverage.

In New York, short-term health plans are available to provide temporary health insurance.

These plans are designed to be a bridge between health insurance coverage gaps, such as between jobs or during a transition period.

Short-term health plans provide temporary health insurance, which can be a lifesaver in case of an unexpected medical emergency.

They're usually available for a limited period, typically ranging from a few months to a year.

For more insights, see: Bcbs Federal Standard

Are Marketplace Premiums Rising?

Credit: youtube.com, Average healthcare premium to cost $500 on marketplace

Marketplace premiums have been rising over the years, with a notable increase in 2025, where the overall weighted average rate increase is 12.7%.

The average rate increases for individual/family health plans in New York for 2025 vary among issuers, ranging from 0% to 35.6%. UnitedHealthcare of New York is the only issuer with a 0% rate increase, while Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (Emblem) has a significant increase of 35.6%.

In 2024, the average increase was 13.5%, and in 2017, it was 16.6%. These numbers suggest that premium increases have been steady, but not always consistent, over the years.

Here's a summary of the average full-price (pre-subsidy) premiums for qualified health plans in New York's individual/family market over the years:

  • 2015: Average increase of 5.7%
  • 2016: Average increase of 7.1%
  • 2017: Average increase of 16.6%
  • 2018: Average increase of 13.9%
  • 2019: Average increase of 8.6%
  • 2020: Average increase of 6.8%
  • 2021: Average increase of 1.8%
  • 2022: Average increase of 3.7%
  • 2023: Average increase of 9.7%
  • 2024: Average increase of 13.5%

It's worth noting that the majority of people who enroll through NY State of Health are enrolled in the Essential Plan, which has no premiums.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the top 5 health insurance companies?

The top 5 health insurance companies are UnitedHealth Group, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente, Ambetter, and Humana. Find the best coverage for your needs with these leading providers.

Tasha Kautzer

Senior Writer

Tasha Kautzer is a versatile and accomplished writer with a diverse portfolio of articles. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she has successfully covered a wide range of topics, from the lives of notable individuals to the achievements of esteemed institutions. Her work spans the globe, delving into the realms of Norwegian billionaires, the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, and the experiences of Norwegian emigrants to the United States.

Love What You Read? Stay Updated!

Join our community for insights, tips, and more.