Health insurance brokers in New York

• 450,000New Yorkers lost Essential Plan eligibility on July 1, 2026, mostly people earning 200 to 250 percent of the poverty level
• 6.0 percentthe 2027 individual market increase New York regulators approved, down from the 20.6 percent insurers asked for
• $0what an honest conversation with a broker costs you in New York

What happened to the Essential Plan

The Essential Plan is New York's low cost coverage for people who earn too much for Medicaid. In 2024 the state used a federal waiver to stretch it up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The 2025 federal budget law cut half of the program's funding, so New York asked to end that waiver and go back to running the Essential Plan as a Basic Health Program. CMS approved the switch, and it took effect on July 1, 2026.

About 1.3 million New Yorkers earning under 200 percent of the poverty level kept their Essential Plan. Most of the roughly 450,000 people between 200 and 250 percent lost it and became eligible for regular marketplace plans instead. The state renewed about 60 percent of them into other coverage, which means a large group did not land anywhere automatically.

One more thing worth knowing. Enrollment in the Essential Plan, Medicaid and Child Health Plus is open all year for New Yorkers who qualify. If your income has dropped below 200 percent of poverty, you do not have to wait for open enrollment, and you may not need a paid plan at all. I would rather tell you that than sell you something.

Rates for 2027, and one carrier leaving

New York regulators actually review and cut rate requests. For 2027, insurers in the individual market asked for an average increase of 20.6 percent. The Department of Financial Services approved 6.0 percent. That is still an increase, and the averages hide wide differences from one plan to the next, but it is far gentler than what many states are seeing.

There is also one exit. Oscar Health is leaving the NY State of Health marketplace for 2027, which affects about 4,800 people who must pick a new plan. Eleven insurers will offer marketplace plans in 2027, down from 12. If you are with Oscar, check that your doctors are in network on whatever you choose next before you choose it.

Open enrollment dates for 2027 coverage in New York

New York runs its own exchange, NY State of Health, and sets a longer window than HealthCare.gov does.

• November 1, 2026Open enrollment for 2027 coverage began on NY State of Health
• December 15, 2026Enroll by this date for coverage that starts January 1, 2027
• January 31, 2027Open enrollment closes

Outside that window you generally need a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage, moving, marriage, or a new baby. The Essential Plan, Medicaid and Child Health Plus are the exception, since New Yorkers who qualify can apply for those at any time of year.

Every 2027 change in New York, carrier by carrier →

How to choose a health insurance broker in New York

Anyone can put "broker" on a website. These are the questions that separate the real ones, and you can ask every one of them in a five minute phone call.

1. Verify the license before anything else

   Ask for the license number and the NPN, then look them up yourself. New York agents can be checked through the New York Department of Financial Services producer and licensee search, and every agent in the country is searchable through the NAIC lookup. An agent who hesitates to give you those numbers has told you everything you need to know. Mine are on this page and on my license page.

2. Ask whether they are independent or captive

   A captive agent works for one insurance company and can only sell you that company's plans. An independent broker is appointed with many carriers and compares across them. Neither is dishonest, but only one of them can tell you when a competitor has the better plan for you.

3. Ask what it costs, and be suspicious of any answer other than nothing

   Brokers are paid by the insurance carriers. The premium is identical whether you enroll through a broker, on your own, or directly with the carrier. Nobody should charge you a fee to enroll you in an individual marketplace plan.

4. Ask how many carriers they can actually quote

   "We shop the whole market" is a slogan until someone puts a number on it. Ask which carriers they are appointed with in New York, and ask them to show you the comparison rather than describe it.

5. Ask whether they will still be there in March

   Plenty of agents are enthusiastic in December and unreachable in the spring, which is exactly when a claim gets denied or a doctor turns out to be out of network. Ask who you call when something goes wrong. The answer should be a person, not a call center.

6. Read the reviews, and look at the dates

   A handful of genuine reviews spread over time tells you more than a wall of them that all landed in the same week. Mine are on my Google profile and they arrived one at a time, from clients who agreed to write one.

What working with me looks like

You tell me your ZIP code, who needs coverage, and roughly what you expect to earn this year. I check whether you are likely to qualify for financial help, then walk you through the options that fit, including coverage sold outside the state exchange. If a plan through the state exchange is the right answer for you, I will say so plainly and point you to a certified helper there, since that is the door to any subsidy. For coverage I can place directly, I handle the enrollment paperwork and stay your point of contact afterward.

Most first conversations take about ten minutes. There is no cost and no obligation, and I am not going to pressure you into a plan, because a client who was pushed into the wrong coverage is a client who leaves.

Where I work in New York

Statewide. Most of my work happens over the phone or a video call, so where you are in New York changes nothing about the process.

• New York City
• Buffalo
• Rochester
• Yonkers
• Syracuse
• Albany
• New Rochelle
• Mount Vernon
• Schenectady
• Utica
• White Plains
• Hempstead
• Troy
• Niagara Falls
• Binghamton
• Freeport
• Ithaca
• Poughkeepsie
• Saratoga Springs
• Watertown

I am also licensed in every other state, so if you are moving or splitting time between two states, that usually is not a problem either.

Who I help most in New York

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 5.0 percent of people in New York had no health insurance in 2024, below the national rate of 8.2 percent.

Individuals and families buying their own coverage, self employed people and 1099 contractors, small business owners, people who just lost employer coverage, and early retirees bridging the gap to Medicare. In New York this year I also spend real time with people who were moved off the Essential Plan in July and are still working out what a monthly premium means for them.