New York health insurance • County networks • Individual, Medicare, and small group
Ten Health Insurance Companies in New York
New Yorkers do not pick a statewide “best” health brand. They pick a county-filed network, a metal or Medicare contract, and a premium after any subsidy or dual-eligible rules. The ten companies below are names people commonly compare. They are not ranked, and they are not the only issuers on NY State of Health.
New York uses a state-based Marketplace, NY State of Health — not HealthCare.gov as the official enrollment site. Individual and family qualified health plans, the Essential Plan, Medicaid, and Child Health Plus run on different eligibility tests from Medicare Advantage or employer small-group coverage. Short-term limited-duration medical insurance is prohibited in New York.
Blake Insurance Group LLC is an independent agency licensed in New York. This page does not claim appointment to sell every product from every company listed. Use the button that matches the coverage you actually need.
HealthSherpa is a private comparison tool. Confirm final individual enrollment against NY State of Health. The Wellcare link is Medicare-only and is not an ACA Marketplace application.
Pick the correct New York path
| If this is your situation | Use this path | What the plan must pass |
|---|---|---|
| Under 65, no affordable job coverage | NY State of Health qualified health plan, with HealthSherpa as a comparison aid | County network, doctors, hospital, formulary, metal level, APTC / CSR if eligible |
| Lower-income adult who may qualify for Essential Plan or Medicaid | NY State of Health eligibility screening — not a Medicare button | Current income rules. Essential Plan eligibility has been tightened; verify the live FPL band | Child needing public coverage | Child Health Plus / Medicaid through NY State of Health | Age, income, and county plan |
| Age 65+, disability Medicare, or dual Medicare-Medicaid | Medicare quote form or the Wellcare Medicare path | County MA or Part D service area, providers, and formulary for the plan year |
| Employer with 1–50 eligible employees shopping group medical | Small-group census form | Situs state, participation, and the group contract — not an individual metal plan |
Direct answer: Lock the county first. Then confirm the hospital and two doctors you will actually use. Then compare total yearly cost after subsidy or Medicare extra help — not the company logo. A Buffalo Independent Health network does not follow you to Queens, and a MetroPlus NYC plan is not an Upstate Excellus card.
Ten companies commonly compared
Issuer participation changes by county and product line. A company can be large in Medicaid or Medicare and thin on individual QHPs, or the reverse. Confirm the product you are buying, not the parent brand.
| Company | Where shoppers usually start | Verify before you enroll |
|---|---|---|
| EmblemHealth | Downstate individual, employer, and Medicare conversations | Which Emblem network and hospital list applies to that contract |
| Fidelis Care | Statewide brand often compared for Marketplace, Essential Plan, and Medicaid-style products | County filing and whether the doctors you use sit in that product’s directory |
| Healthfirst | NYC and nearby counties for Marketplace and public-program style networks | Referral rules and specialty access on the exact plan ID |
| MetroPlusHealth | NYC-focused public and Marketplace options | Borough service area; do not assume Long Island or Upstate access |
| Oscar | Digital individual shopping in counties where Oscar files QHPs | Narrower footprint than the household-name downstate plans; confirm ZIP |
| MVP Health Care | Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and other Upstate individual and employer markets | County map; MVP is not a substitute for every NYC network |
| Excellus BlueCross BlueShield | Central and Upstate Blue recognition | The local Blue plan name on the ID card, not a national Blue card assumption |
| Univera Healthcare | Western New York shoppers comparing regional Blues-family options | How Univera relates to other Highmark / WNY brands on that application |
| Independent Health | Western New York individual and employer conversations | Erie / Niagara and nearby county participation only |
| Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | Western and some Northeastern New York border-region shopping | Which Highmark New York entity issued the plan |
Other NY State of Health issuers appear in official enrollment files and are not on this ten-name shortlist, including Anthem / Empire Blue brands, UnitedHealthcare of New York, CDPHP, and Molina / Affinity lines in some counties. Absence from the table is not a quality judgment.
What to verify before you enroll
- County and ZIP, not “New York” as a single market.
- The legal product: QHP, Essential Plan, Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, or small group.
- Primary care, specialists, and the hospital you would use for surgery.
- Each maintenance drug on that contract’s formulary and tier.
- HMO / EPO referral rules versus any PPO out-of-network language.
- Premium after APTC, Essential Plan rules, or Medicare premium adjustments — plus deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
- The current enrollment window. Individual Open Enrollment on NY State of Health has recently run November 1 through January 31; Medicare Advantage and Part D Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 for a January 1 effective date. Confirm the live calendar before you wait.
Related New York pages stay on their own URLs: individual health insurance New York, New York Marketplace, and why short-term medical is not sold in New York.
New York company-list FAQs
Which of these ten is the best health insurance company in New York?
None of them is universally best. The usable plan is the one filed in your county whose directory includes your doctors and drugs at a total cost you can pay.
Does New York use HealthCare.gov?
No. The official individual Marketplace is NY State of Health. HealthSherpa on this page is a comparison aid, not a replacement for state eligibility rules.
Can I buy short-term health insurance in New York?
No. New York prohibits traditional short-term limited-duration medical policies.
Does the Wellcare button enroll an ACA plan?
No. It is a Medicare pathway.
Does Blake sell all ten companies in every county?
No. Appointments, product lines, and county filings differ. We do not offer every plan available in your area.
Important information
Independent agency. Blake Insurance Group LLC is an independent insurance agency. It is not NY State of Health, CMS, or any listed issuer.
Medicare notice. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we offer. Contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or New York’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (HIICAP) for a complete list of Medicare options.
Licensing. Licensed insurance producer NPN 16944666. Licensed states: AZ, AL, TX, CA, NY, OH, FL, NC, VA, GA, OK, NM, IA, KS, MI, NE, SC, SD, WV, IL, NJ, PA, TN, and WA.
Availability. Networks, premiums, subsidies, Essential Plan rules, and Medicare contracts change by county and plan year. Issued documents control.
Trademarks. Company names above belong to their owners. Listing a name is not an endorsement or a claim of statewide appointment.
Your next step
Write down county, doctors, hospital, and drugs. Open the individual, Medicare, or group path that matches that list. Do not enroll from a statewide brand table.
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