New York group health insurance
New York's small group market covers employers with 1 to 100 employees, after the state's small group expansion. Plans are regulated by the Department of Financial Services and employers can buy through NY State of Health, the state marketplace.
New York also uses pure community rating in the small group market, which means premiums do not vary by age, unlike most states.
A free matching service for employers, not a broker or insurer. We introduce you to a licensed broker and tell you who they are before anything is shared. No plan, tax or legal advice. How it works
What is different for New York employers
- Small group runs from 1 to 100 employees.
- Community rating: no age rating in small group premiums.
- The Department of Financial Services regulates insurers and licenses brokers.
- NY State of Health runs the SHOP marketplace for employers.
- State mandates add benefits beyond the federal list.
- Employers with staff in New Jersey or Connecticut may need cover that works across state lines.
New York at a glance
| Item | New York |
|---|---|
| Small group size After the state expansion | 1 to 100 |
| Age rating in small group Pure community rating | None |
| Regulator Insurers and broker licensing | DFS |
| State SHOP marketplace For employers | NY State of Health |
Sources: DFS small group expansion FAQs, NY State of Health for employers, dfs.ny.gov. Read October 28, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Community rating and what it means for your renewal
In most states a small group's premium is the sum of each employee's age-banded rate, so hiring older staff raises the bill and a young team pays less. New York does not allow that in its small group market: everyone in a plan pays the same rate for the same tier, whatever their age. For a young team that can feel expensive; for an older team it is protection.
Because the small group line runs to 100, a New York firm of 60 or 90 is still rated this way. Crossing 100 moves the group into the large group market, where rating works differently. If you are close to that line, ask a broker how the change would affect your renewal before it happens.
| Regulator and broker licensing | Department of Financial Services |
|---|---|
| Small group size (1 to 100) | DFS small group expansion FAQs |
| Marketplace for employers | NY State of Health |
| Federal small business credit | IRS, via a SHOP plan |
General information, not legal advice.
Six questions for a New York broker
The standard list, with a New York question added.
Their license, in your state
A resident or non-resident producer license with accident and health authority wherever you have employees. You can check it on your state insurance department's site (the NAIC lists every department).
How they are paid
Commission from the carrier, a flat fee from you, or both. Federal rules require brokers to disclose expected pay of $1,000 or more for a group health plan in writing before you sign (DOL guidance, 2021).
Which carriers they can quote
Brokers can only place cover with carriers that have appointed them. Ask which carriers and funding types they will take your group to, and whether any are left out.
Staff across state lines
How the carriers they quote handle employees living in New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania, and whether the network works where those people live.
What happens after you sign
Who handles enrollment, adding and removing employees, billing errors and claim problems during the year, and how quickly they reply.
Compliance help
Whether they help with ACA reporting, Section 125 premium-only plans, COBRA or state continuation notices and plan documents, or expect your payroll provider or attorney to do it.
A New York employer with 2 to 100 employees? We will find a licensed New York broker who works with groups your size.
Find a licensed brokerSetting up a New York group plan
Headcount and locations
Confirm your group size under the 1 to 100 definition and where employees live.
Quotes inside and outside the marketplace
NY State of Health and direct carrier plans side by side.
Applications
Employer and employee forms and first premium to the chosen carrier.
Renewals
Community-rated renewals change by tier, not by the ages on your census.
Questions people ask
Is small group up to 100 employees in New York?
Yes. New York's small group market covers employers with 1 to 100 employees. The DFS FAQs explain how the count works.
What is community rating?
A rule that everyone in the same plan and tier pays the same premium, whatever their age or health. New York applies it in the small group market; most states allow age rating.
How do New York employers use the marketplace?
Through NY State of Health, the state-run marketplace, which offers small business plans and is the route to the federal small business tax credit.
Does New York require employers to offer health insurance?
New York has no general requirement for private employers to offer health cover; the federal 50 full-time equivalent rules apply. New York does require certain disability and paid family leave cover, which is separate from health insurance.
Are you a New York broker?
No. We are a matching service with no insurance license. We introduce you to a broker licensed by New York DFS.
Find a New York group health broker
Three short steps: where the business is, what you have now, and who to speak to. It takes about two minutes and asks nothing about anyone's health.
- Free for employers. The broker pays us a flat fee per introduction.
- One broker, named to you first, with their state license number.
- No advice from us. Plans, rates and tax questions go to the licensed broker.
We are a free matching service, not a broker or insurer, and we do not quote or recommend plans. We look for a licensed benefits broker who suits your business and tell you who it is; your enquiry goes to them only with your go-ahead.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one business day we will email or call to tell you which licensed benefits broker we have found, with their license number.
- Your details reach that broker only if you say yes.
- The broker reviews your renewal or your options and talks you through them. Whether to work with them is your choice. No marketing from us, ever.