How health insurance works in New York
New Yorkers buying their own coverage have two markets: NY State of Health (nystateofhealth.ny.gov), where plans from Fidelis Care, Healthfirst, Anthem (Empire), EmblemHealth, MVP, and Oscar are guaranteed-issue and priced on income, and the private shared-network market, where PPO plans on MagnaCare PPO are underwritten and priced on age and health.
Medicaid is expanded, plus the Essential Plan up to 250% of the poverty level in New York. New York has no individual mandate penalty, but it has the strictest insurance rules in the country.
What it costs
Full-price marketplace plans for a 40-year-old in New York City commonly run $550–$850 a month in 2026; with a subsidy, often under $300. Private PPOs for the same healthy person run roughly $320–$480. New York (and New York City) income taxes are among the highest in the country, so the self-employed premium deduction is worth real money here.
The New York picture
New York uses pure community rating — a 25-year-old and a 64-year-old pay the same marketplace premium — and the state restricts most non-ACA plans. Private options in New York are narrower than in other states, so the honest answer here is usually a careful comparison, not a promise of savings.