Before we start discussing the top 5 health insurance companies in New York, we are going to offer a brief overview of the number of people who are insured in New York, so you know why you should get credentialed with leading insurance payers.
Here we go:
- 2.58 million residents are enrolled in Medicare.
- 9.05 million people are covered by employer-sponsored insurance (ESI).
- 5.6% of residents are enrolled in the individual market insurance.
- The state also operates a Basic Health Program.
Now that you have an understanding of the health insurance landscape of New York, it is time to start with the listicle!
Top 5 Health Insurance Companies in New York State
Here are our top five picks:
1. United Healthcare (UHC)
Are you looking to be credentialed with the ultimate leader in the healthcare space? If yes, this company should be on your list!
With over 5 decades of industry expertise, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) continues to be the largest healthcare insurance company in the U.S. with nearly 45 million members, and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is its health insurance division.
It is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange and was recently ranked #3 on the Fortune 500 list of American businesses, leaving behind Apple.
UHC has more than 3.5 million members within New York communities. Besides, over the years, it has donated $3.2 million to local organizations.
Additionally, this medical insurance company in New York has a network of 106,000 providers and employs 11,000 individuals.
The best part: UHC claims to have a claim approval rate of 98% if submitted within the allowable timeframe and after removing duplicate claims.
As per the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) 2024 market share report, it is ranked #1 in New York with $21.16 billion in direct written premiums and 25.74% market share.
2. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
With more than 80 years of industry experience, Blue Cross Blue Shield, or BCBS for short, is one of the top-rated medical insurance companies in New York. It is made up of 33 independent BCBS companies that are locally owned and operated.
The Excellus BCBS is the leader in New York State, headquartered in Rochester. It provides health insurance to approximately 1.5 million members. Besides, it is part of a $6 billion family of companies that finances and delivers healthcare services across upstate New York, employing over 4,000 New Yorkers.
That’s not all, Forbes has ranked this health insurance company in NY as #8 on the list of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2025 (it was included in this list for the third time consecutively).
BCBS has network agreements with 1.7 million hospitals and physicians nationwide and pays around $600 billion in claims annually. Here’s a quick overview of its members:
- Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: 5.8 million members.
- Individual market: 7.4 million members.
- Labor unions: 18 million members.
- Medicaid: 13 million members.
- Medicare Advantage: 4.6 million members.
- Medicare Part D: 5.3 million members.
- Medicare supplement, or Medigap: 4 million members.
- Small business plans: 6.8 million members.
3. Cigna Healthcare
How does it sound to partner with one of the top health insurance companies in NY that is headquartered in Connecticut, U.S.? It has $180.5 billion in total revenues, over 2 million relationships with care providers, clinics, and facilities. Additionally, more than 64,000 employees work across 30 countries to improve the quality of life.
This is Cigna Healthcare for you! In the USA, it serves over 15 million medical and more than 16 million dental customers. By credentialing with Cigna, you can tap into this extensive customer base and start providing care services.
What’s more? As per the American Medical Association (AMA), Cigna is among the top 10 medical insurance companies in the USA, with 10% of the market share. On the other hand, NAIC ranked it #9 in New York with 3.51% market share and $2.89 billion in direct written premiums.
Before starting with another insurance company, let’s quickly glance into the history of Cigna: It was formed as the result of a merger between two companies, namely Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CG) and Insurance Company of North America (INA), in 1982.
4. EmblemHealth
EmblemHealth is one of the reputable medical insurance companies in NY that was started back in the 1930s. Similar to Cigna, Emblem Health also received its name after the merger of two health insurance companies, namely Group Health Incorporated (GHI) and Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP).
As per the NAIC 2024 market share report, EmblemHealth is ranked #5 in New York. It had approximately $5.29 billion in direct written premiums and captured 6.44% of the market share for accident and health insurance groups.
It serves over 3 million members in New York and the tristate area. Moreover, it has 15 neighborhood care locations for support and wellness. Thus, if you are looking for an established health insurance company in New York to credential with and to expand your reach, EmblemHealth is your best pick.
5. Molina Healthcare
The next health insurance company in New York we shortlisted for you is Molina Healthcare. But why?
It began in 1980 as a single clinic in Long Beach, CA, aimed at targeting the disparities in access to quality healthcare. However, with time, it has grown into 19 health plans.
In 2024 alone, Molina Healthcare served around 5.5 million members and earned premium revenue of $38.6 billion.
The NAIC 2024 report ranked this medical insurance company in New York at #14 with $1.77 billion in direct written premiums and a 2.16% market share.
Additionally, it is also a Fortune 500 business and, as of 2025, has grown its members to 5.8 million nationwide.
Partner with NeuraBill for Seamless Credentialing
This guide offers you a detailed list of the top 5 health insurance companies in New York. We tried to highlight the benefits of enrolling with each, from their total number of members to their market share.
But, here’s a disclaimer! The credentialing process is lengthy, time-consuming, and lacks transparency. Besides, the requirements significantly vary across payers. Thus, if you want to get credentialed successfully with one of the listed insurance firms or any other, think about outsourcing insurance credentialing services to professionals like NeuraBill.
