Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare plans in the Capital Region
What Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield sells to Medicare beneficiaries in New York, what the Capital Region's hospitals say about it in 2026, and how it compares. I'm appointed with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield; I'm also appointed with the carriers it competes with, which is the point.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Anthem HealthChoice Assurance, Inc. and Anthem HealthChoice HMO, Inc. (formerly Empire BlueCross BlueShield); home office New York, New York) sells the following to New York Medicare beneficiaries: Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans with Part D; Dual-eligible (D-SNP) plans; Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies in New York. Members and doctors' offices still use both names; when checking a directory, search under Anthem and Empire. I'm appointed with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and with its competitors; the plan is chosen by checking your doctors, your hospital and your prescriptions against each specific plan, not by carrier name, and there's no fee for the comparison.
Who they are
The former Empire BlueCross BlueShield, renamed Anthem in 2024; the hospitals' lists still say Empire. All three Capital Region systems list Empire BlueCross BlueShield. Anthem also files Medicare Supplement rates in New York.
Plans are issued by Anthem HealthChoice Assurance, Inc. and Anthem HealthChoice HMO, Inc. (formerly Empire BlueCross BlueShield), home office New York, New York (9 Pine Street, New York, as listed by NY DFS; parent Elevance Health is in Indianapolis, Indiana). Named here because New York Insurance Law §2122(b) requires a licensee who names an insurer to give its full name and home-office city.
What Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield sells to Medicare beneficiaries in New York
- Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans with Part D
- Dual-eligible (D-SNP) plans
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies in New York
Not every product is sold in every county, and I don't offer every Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. What I can quote for your ZIP code is settled in the first call.
Capital Region hospitals and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage, 2026
| Hospital system | On the hospital's list? | Note from the list |
|---|---|---|
| Albany Med Health System Albany Medical Center (Albany), Saratoga Hospital (Saratoga Springs), Glens Falls Hospital, Columbia Memorial (Hudson), Malta Med Emergent Care | Yes | |
| St. Peter's Health Partners St. Peter's Hospital (Albany), Samaritan Hospital (Troy), Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital (Schenectady), St. Peter's Health Partners Medical Associates | Yes | |
| Ellis Medicine Ellis Hospital (Schenectady), Bellevue Woman's Center (Niskayuna), Medical Center of Clifton Park, Ellis Health Center | Yes |
From the three systems' accepted-insurance pages, read September 16, 2026. A carrier on a hospital's list does not mean every plan or every physician is in network; check the plan's directory. The full matrix and the hospitals' own wording are on which plans Capital Region hospitals accept.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medigap in New York
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield files Medicare Supplement rates with the New York Department of Financial Services. Its Albany-region premiums are not in the DFS comparison table I maintain on the rates page; I quote them directly when they fit.
What to watch
Members and doctors' offices still use both names; when checking a directory, search under Anthem and Empire.
How I use this
I'm appointed with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and with its competitors, and I'm paid by the carrier rather than by you, at commission rates that Medicare caps for Advantage and Part D plans, so the comparison is a fair one. Every recommendation starts with your doctors and your hospital checked against the specific plan's directory, then your prescriptions priced through its formulary, then the total yearly cost. When a Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is the right answer I'll say so; when it isn't, I'll say that too. Ask for a comparison, or read how to choose a Medicare plan in New York first. Official plan details: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's Medicare site.
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare (carrier site)
- Insurance company directory (NY Department of Financial Services) — legal entity names and home-office addresses, checked September 16, 2026
- Accepted insurance (Albany Med Health System)
- Accepted insurance (St. Peter's Health Partners)
- Participating insurance listing (Ellis Medicine)
- Comparison of 2026 Medicare Supplement premiums (NY DFS)
- Insurance Law §2122, advertising by licensees (New York State Senate)
I do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information I provide is limited to the plans I do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program for 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.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Do you sell Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare plans?
Yes. I'm appointed with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and with the other carriers active in the Capital Region, and I'm paid by the carrier rather than by you. Not every Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is available in every county, and I don't offer every plan; I'll tell you which ones I can quote for your ZIP code.
Does Albany Med accept Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage?
See the hospital table on this page, taken from the Albany Med Health System's own accepted-insurance list as of September 2026, and remember that a carrier on the list does not guarantee every plan or physician is in network; the specific plan's directory is the final check.
Is Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield the right choice for me?
Only your doctors, hospital, prescriptions and budget can answer that. A Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is right when those check out against the specific plan, and wrong when they don't, regardless of what the carrier's advertising says. I run that comparison across carriers at no fee.
Does Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield sell Medigap in New York?
Yes. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield files community-rated Medicare Supplement premiums with the New York Department of Financial Services; in New York the same premium applies at every age and the policy is guaranteed-issue in any month. Albany-region premiums for the carriers in the DFS comparison are on the Medigap rates page.
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.