Shop Today! Plan Options Are Now Available for Viewing
Open Enrollment Period Runs November 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019
Most NY State of Health Enrollees Will See no Increase in Monthly Cost
Expanded Number of Health Plan Options Offered
ALBANY, NY (October 11, 2018) -- NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace today announced Qualified Health Plan, Essential Plan, and other options that will be available to consumers in 2019. The 2019 Open Enrollment Period begins November 1, 2018 and will continue through January 31, 2019. Over 95 percent of Marketplace enrollees will see no cost increase in 2019, including those who are enrolled in Medicaid and the Essential Plan and those who are eligible to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan with financial assistance. And New York’s enrollment window is twice as long as the federal marketplace, giving consumers more time to shop for the best health coverage for themselves and their families.
“As we enter our sixth year, New Yorkers will continue to have affordable health care options available through NY State of Health.” said NY State of Health Executive Director Donna Frescatore, “There will again be a great choice of plans at affordable prices.”
The Essential Plan for lower income New Yorkers will continue to be offered at no cost or a cost of $20 per person per month depending on income. Unique to New York, the Essential Plan has been enormously successful, enrolling more than 740,000 people. Consumers who are eligible for a Qualified Health Plan with federal tax credits will see no or little increase in monthly costs. Bronze level Qualified Health Plans will be free to individuals with incomes up to $25,000 and not eligible for Medicaid or the Essential Plan in every county of the state, and less than $50 a month for individuals with incomes up to $30,000 a year in 41 counties. Bronze level Qualified Health Plans provide no-cost preventive care and protect against catastrophic costs despite having a higher annual deductible than other available plans.
NY State of Health will renew coverage for more than 500,000 households in the state and enroll new people into coverage during the Open Enrollment Period. An estimated 500,000 households that currently have coverage through NY State of Health will begin to receive their 2019 renewal notices later this month and may begin renewing coverage on November 16, 2018. Notices will include information about how to select a plan, if applicable. Consumers who are new to the Marketplace will be able to enroll in coverage for 2019 when the Open Enrollment Period begins on November 1, 2018. The NY State of Health Customer Service Center and in-person assistors will be available to assist consumers with enrollment and renewal.
Qualified Health Plans
All of the insurers that offered Qualified Health Plans last year will offer them again in 2019. The 12 insurers offering Qualified Health Plans in 2019 are:
- Capital District Physicians Health Plan
- Empire Blue Cross and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Excellus (Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Central NY and Univera in Western NY)
- Fidelis Care
- Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (EmblemHealth)
- Healthfirst
- HealthNow New York, Inc. (BlueShield of Northeastern NY; BlueCross BlueShield of Western NY)
- Independent Health
- MetroPlus Health Plan
- MVP Health Care
- Oscar Insurance Corporation
- United Healthcare of New York, Inc
Browse 2019 Qualified Health Plan options here.
The Essential Plan
Consumers will again have a broad choice of Essential Plan insurer options, including an additional insurer – Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP) – in 2019. The 16 insurers offering the Essential Plan in 2019 are:
- Affinity Health Plan
- Capital District Physicians Health Plan
- Crystal Run Health Plan
- Excellus (Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Central NY and Univera in Western NY)
- Fidelis Care
- Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (EmblemHealth)
- Healthfirst
- HealthNow New York, Inc. (BlueCross BlueShield of Western NY)
- HealthPlus HP (Empire BlueCross BlueShield HealthPlus)
- Independent Health
- MetroPlus Health Plan
- Molina Healthcare
- MVP Health Care.
- United Healthcare of New York, Inc.
- WellCare of New York
- YourCare Health Plan
The Small Business Marketplace
NY State of Health's Small Business Marketplace (SBM) has significantly expanded its plan offerings compared to prior years. The SBM offers high-quality, affordable health insurance coverage for all small businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Employers can view all SBM certified health plan options through the Marketplace’s online portal, making it easy to compare available health plan benefits, premiums and quality of health plan services. Employers will enroll directly through insurers and certified brokers.
Significant changes made to NY State of Health’s SBM earlier this year have made it easier for New York’s small businesses to access the Federal Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. In 2019, nine insurers including United Healthcare (Oxford) which is new to the SBM, will offer over 2,000 products across the state. The nine insurers offering plans on the Small Business Marketplace in 2019 are:
- Capital District Physicians Health Plan
- Excellus (Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Central NY and Univera in Western NY)
- Healthfirst
- Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (EmblemHealth)
- Independent Health
- MetroPlus Health Plan
- MVP Health Care
- Oscar Insurance Corporation
- United Healthcare (Oxford)
Receiving an eligibility determination from the SBM and enrolling in SBM certified plans is the only way for qualified New York small businesses to claim the Federal Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.
Dental Plans
The Marketplace will also offer the following stand-alone dental plans on the individual Marketplace:
- Delta Dental
- Dentcare
- Dentegra
- Empire BlueCross and Empire Blue Cross BlueShield
- Guardian
- HealthNow New York, Inc. (BlueShield of Northeastern NY; BlueCross BlueShield of Western NY)
- Healthplex
- Solstice
Enrollment in the Essential Plan, Medicaid and Child Health Plus is open all year. For additional information, visit the NY State of Health website at: nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
Interactive maps of the 2019 Health and Dental Plans are available at:
http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/PlansMap
http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/EssentialPlanMap
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Contact: NY State Department of Health
518-474-7354 ext. 1
About NY State of Health
New York opened its health plan Marketplace, NY State of Health in October 2013. The Marketplace’s one stop health insurance shopping experience offers high quality comprehensive health plans. NY State of Health is the only place where consumers can qualify to get help paying for coverage through premium discounts or tax credits. Eligible New Yorkers can also enroll in Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan through the Marketplace all year. For more information about the NY State of Health Marketplace, please visit: https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ or call Customer Service at 1-855-355-5777, TTY: 1-800-662-1220 or find an enrollment assistor.