Medicare agents and brokers near me: what to look for, and where I am
Type that phrase into Google and the top results are national companies with call centers in other states. Nothing wrong with them, but "near me" was the point of your search. Here is what a local agent actually knows, how to check any agent's license in two minutes, and how to reach me.
A Medicare agent near you in the Capital Region should know which carriers Albany Med, St. Peter's, Ellis and Saratoga Hospital list, how NYSHIP and GE retiree coverage coordinate with Medicare, and that New York prices Medigap by community rating. Check any agent, me included, in the NY Department of Financial Services license lookup, ask which carriers they are appointed with, and expect the required statement of how many organizations and plans they represent. Plan comparison and enrollment through an agent cost nothing; the carrier pays. My office is at 451 Clifton Park Center Rd, Clifton Park, and I meet clients there, by phone or video, or at home across Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties.
What "near me" should actually get you
A phone number is not local knowledge. Medicare Advantage plans are filed and priced by county, their networks are built around specific hospitals, and a lot of what goes wrong in this region comes down to details a national call center has no reason to know. An agent who works here should be able to tell you, without looking it up:
- Which carriers each hospital system lists. Albany Med, St. Peter's Health Partners, Ellis and Saratoga Hospital each publish their own list of accepted Advantage plans, and they differ. Where your doctors admit decides the plan; the hospital page has the 2026 lists side by side.
- What retiree coverage does to the choice. Many people here retired from New York State, GE, the school districts or the hospitals. NYSHIP requires Parts A and B and generally reimburses the Part B premium; enrolling in an outside Advantage plan can conflict with it. That question comes before any plan comparison.
- How New York prices Medigap. Community rating, no medical underwriting at any age, and a yearly right to move between Advantage and Medigap that most states do not have. It changes the advice: see Advantage vs Medigap in New York.
- The county line. Clifton Park and Latham are ten minutes apart and in different counties, with different plan line-ups and different Medigap rates. The county pages cover Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady and Rensselaer.
How to check any Medicare agent, me included
- Look up the license. The NY DFS license search lists every agent and broker in the state with license type and expiry. If the name is not there, stop. Mine: life, accident and health LA-1934647; property and casualty PC-1934647 and BR-1934647; NPN 21711447.
- Ask which carriers they are appointed with. An agent can only enroll you in plans from carriers that have appointed them. Mine are on the carriers page, with what each sells and which hospitals list it.
- Expect the disclaimer. Any agent who sells for more than one carrier must tell you they do not offer every plan and how many organizations and plans they represent. It is at the bottom of this page. An agent who claims to offer "every plan" either sells for one carrier or is not being careful.
- Expect a Scope of Appointment. Before an agent discusses specific Advantage or Part D plans with you, federal rules require a short form saying what you agreed to talk about. It protects you; an agent who skips it is skipping other things too.
- Never pay a fee for Medicare help. The carrier pays the agent. In New York a broker fee is legal only with a written agreement you sign in advance, and for Medicare plans there is no reason for one. What it costs spells out how I am paid.
Where I am and how we meet
My office is at 451 Clifton Park Center Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065, off Northway Exit 9, open Mon – Fri 9 AM to 5 PM and Sat – Sun 9 AM to 1 PM, by appointment. Most first conversations happen by phone at (518) 902-8822 or WhatsApp; full reviews work well by video, and I visit clients at home across the four counties when that is easier. Nothing is decided on a first call.
Town by town, with the hospitals and retiree details that matter in each: Clifton Park · Saratoga Springs · Malta · Albany · Latham · Schenectady · Niskayuna · Troy · East Greenbush. Colonie, Guilderland, Delmar, Rotterdam, Glenville, Halfmoon and Ballston Spa are all regular stops.
What to have ready for the first conversation
- Your Medicare card, or your Part A and B start dates if the card has not arrived.
- The names of your doctors and the hospital they admit to.
- Your prescriptions, with doses, from the pharmacy printout or the bottles.
- Any retiree or employer coverage paperwork: NYSHIP, GE, a union plan.
- How much of the year you spend outside the region.
With those five things I can usually say on the call whether the answer is an Advantage plan, Original Medicare with Medigap and a Part D plan, or leaving what you have alone. Or start with the plan finder, eight questions that narrow it to the plan types and carriers worth your time in your county, and bring the result.
- NY Department of Financial Services, insurance license lookup — search any agent or agency by name
- NIPR, look up a producer by National Producer Number
- 42 CFR §422.2267(e)(41), the disclaimer every multi-carrier Medicare agent must show (eCFR) — number of organizations and plans represented
- 42 CFR §422.2274, agent and broker rules, including Scope of Appointment (eCFR)
- NY Insurance Law §2119, broker fees require a signed written agreement
- Medicare.gov, joining a plan and who can help
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 11 organizations which offer 63 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Social Security Administration or the federal Medicare program. Insurers named on this page are identified by legal name and home office on the carriers page, as New York Insurance Law §2122(b) requires.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Does a Medicare agent charge a fee?
No. Comparing plans, enrolling and the yearly review cost you nothing; the carrier pays the agent a commission that Medicare caps at the same amount for every carrier, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent, the carrier or medicare.gov. In New York a broker may only charge a fee with a written disclosure you sign first (Insurance Law §2119); I do not use one. The full picture is on the what it costs page.
What is the difference between a Medicare agent, a broker and a HIICAP counselor?
An agent or broker is licensed by New York, appointed by specific carriers, and can compare and enroll you in those carriers' plans; the terms are used almost interchangeably for Medicare. A HIICAP counselor works for the county Office for the Aging, covers every plan, sells nothing and cannot enroll you. I am an agent; I recommend HIICAP to anyone who wants a second opinion, and the four county offices are listed on the HIICAP page.
How do I know an agent is really licensed in New York?
Search the name in the NY Department of Financial Services license lookup; every agent and broker is listed with license numbers and expiry. Mine are LA-1934647 for life, accident and health, and BR-1934647 and PC-1934647 for property and casualty; my National Producer Number is 21711447. If a name is not there, do not sign anything.
Do I have to come to your office?
No. First calls are usually by phone or WhatsApp, and full reviews work well by video. I meet in person at 451 Clifton Park Center Rd, off Northway Exit 9, by appointment, and I visit clients at home across the four counties when that is easier. Evenings and weekend mornings are possible.
Are you the Medicare office or Social Security?
No. I am a licensed insurance agent, not connected with the federal Medicare program or the Social Security Administration. To reach Medicare itself call 1-800-MEDICARE or use medicare.gov; the Social Security offices in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Glens Falls are on the SSA offices page, with hours and what each handles.
Ask for a Medicare comparison
Your doctors, your prescriptions and your ZIP code are all I need to start. No fee for plan comparison or enrollment.