New York · Coverage Guide

New York health plans for families and employers.

Plans through NY State of Health, employer group coverage from level-funded to ICHRA, plus Medicaid and Essential Plan context — all under one DFS-regulated platform with broker support from NYC to Buffalo to Rochester.

ACA-compliant plans Group plans for employers No-cost consultation
Marketplace
NY State of Health
State-based exchange (operating since 2014). nystateofhealth.ny.gov
Medicaid program
New York Medicaid
Administered by New York State Department of Health (Office of Health Insurance Programs). www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid
Carrier regulator
New York Department of Financial Services (DFS)
Licenses carriers and brokers and reviews rate filings. www.dfs.ny.gov
Uninsured rate
4.8%
New York non-elderly uninsured rate 2023 ACS, U.S. Census Bureau) — among the lowest in the nation National average ~7.6%.
What Benefitra covers in New York

Four pillars. One platform.

Benefitra is the parent platform for benefits brokerage, HR SaaS, marketing, and decision-support tools. New York employers can adopt one pillar or stack them.

Insurance

Health, dental, vision, life, disability. Individual, family, group.

Funding strategies →

Employee Benefits

Seven funding paths: fully-insured, level-funded, self-funded, ICHRA, PEO-integrated, captive, Taft-Hartley.

Compare paths →

Marketing & SEO

Lead-engine and rankings for growing employers. Page-2-to-page-1 in months.

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Business Tools / SaaS

586 free calculators: ACA, COBRA, ROI, valuation, projector.

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Coverage options in New York

Affordable, compliant, and built for the way you actually buy.

New York health plans give consumers and employers more options for dependable health insurance coverage. These options match different budgets and needs.

Individual and family plans. New York operates its own state-based exchange — NY State of Health — one of the original 2014 SBEs. Plans are ACA-compliant qualified health plans regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), which uniquely combines insurance and banking regulation. New York's uninsured rate is 4.8% (2023 ACS), among the lowest in the nation, supported by the Essential Plan and broad Medicaid coverage.

Qualified health plans, Essential Plan, and subsidies. NY State of Health offers QHPs with federal premium tax credits and also operates the Essential Plan, a Basic Health Program (BHP) under ACA Section 1331 for households earning 138-250% FPL. Essential Plan members pay $0 or $20 per month with full essential benefits and no deductible — a benefit unavailable in most other states. Open enrollment runs Nov 16 – Jan 31, and special enrollment applies to qualifying life events.

New York Medicaid. New York Medicaid is administered by the New York State Department of Health Office of Health Insurance Programs and covers eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities. New York expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, raising the income limit for adults to 138% FPL. The state also stacks the Essential Plan on top of Medicaid expansion to extend low-cost coverage further up the income scale.

Pairing a plan with an HSA. HSA-eligible high-deductible New York health plans let employees pay eligible medical expenses with pre-tax dollars, with 2026 contribution limits at $4,400 individual / $8,750 family per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19. Supplemental plans (accident, dental, vision, disability) cover gaps the primary medical plan doesn't.

Employer group plans in New York. New York employers with 1 or more employees can offer group health insurance year-round (New York guarantees small-group access at 1+ employees). New York's community-rated small-group market means premiums don't vary by health status or claims experience, which makes level-funded and self-funded arrangements particularly attractive for healthy mid-market employers across NYC, Buffalo, and Rochester. Benefitra's Funding-Fit Discovery models the math across all seven arrangements.

Individuals

Individual & family plans

ACA-compliant plans with essential health benefits, network access, and subsidy eligibility based on income.

Employers

Group health insurance

Small-business and mid-market plans, level-funded and self-funded options, premium-stability strategies.

Public programs

Medicaid & Medicare

State-administered Medicaid for eligible New York residents; Medicare access by age or disability.

What New York clients say

Real outcomes, real New York employers.

Sam helped our New York team navigate community-rated small group and find a level-funded path that worked for our healthy roster.

— New York employer, professional services

ICHRA opened a real option for our Brooklyn team — fixed contribution, individual plan choice through NY State of Health, no underwriting surprises.

— NYC small business

Switching to the Essential Plan through NY State of Health cut our family premium dramatically. Benefitra walked us through eligibility.

— Upstate New York family member
Frequently asked questions

New York health insurance — answered.

Marketplace, Medicaid, group plans, and ICHRA. Common New York-specific questions for families and employers.

Where do New Yorkers enroll in ACA health plans in 2026?
New Yorkers enroll through NY State of Health, the state-based exchange operating since 2014. Open enrollment runs Nov 16 – Jan 31, longer than the federal window. NY State of Health is also the entry point for Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan, in addition to private QHPs.
What is the Essential Plan?
The Essential Plan is New York's Basic Health Program (BHP) under ACA Section 1331, available to households earning 138-250% FPL. Members pay $0 or $20 per month for full essential benefits with no deductible — a coverage tier unavailable in most other states. The Essential Plan stacks on top of expanded Medicaid (138% FPL and below), giving New York one of the most generous coverage continuums in the country.
Did New York expand Medicaid?
Yes. New York expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, raising the income limit for adults to 138% FPL. New York Medicaid is administered by the New York State Department of Health Office of Health Insurance Programs. The state's 4.8% uninsured rate (2023 ACS) is among the lowest in the nation.
Who regulates New York health insurance carriers?
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) regulates both insurance and banking in New York — a uniquely combined regulator. DFS licenses carriers, brokers, and producers; reviews rate filings; and handles consumer complaints. Brokers selling on NY State of Health are also separately registered with the Marketplace.
What is ICHRA and is it allowed in New York?
ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) lets New York employers reimburse employees tax-free for individual ACA plans purchased through NY State of Health. ICHRA is federally permitted and fully available in New York. New York's community-rated small-group market makes ICHRA mathematically interesting for healthy mid-market employers comparing fixed-contribution defined-benefit designs against traditional group insurance.

Find your New York funding fit in five minutes.

Answer twelve short questions. We grade your fit across the seven funding arrangements — fully-insured, level-funded, self-funded, captive, ICHRA, PEO-integrated, and Taft-Hartley.

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