VNS Health Medicare plans in the Capital Region
What VNS Health 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 VNS Health; I'm also appointed with the carriers it competes with, which is the point.
VNS Health (VNS Health (licensed in New York as VNS Choice); home office New York, New York) sells the following to New York Medicare beneficiaries: Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP) for people with Medicare and Medicaid; Medicare Advantage plans in parts of New York. VNS Choice appears on the Albany Med Health System's and St. Peter's Health Partners' published lists but not on Ellis Medicine's (lists read October 15, 2026). The lists name carriers, not plans, so check the specific plan's directory. I'm appointed with VNS Health 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 health-plan arm of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, specializing in plans for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid and in coordinating home care. Its plans are strongest in New York City and the Hudson Valley; availability in Capital Region counties varies by year and should be checked by ZIP code.
Plans are issued by VNS Health (licensed in New York as VNS Choice), home office New York, New York (1250 Broadway, New York, as listed by NY DFS). 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 VNS Health sells to Medicare beneficiaries in New York
- Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP) for people with Medicare and Medicaid
- Medicare Advantage plans in parts of New York
Not every product is sold in every county, and I don't offer every VNS Health plan. What I can quote for your ZIP code is settled in the first call.
VNS Health Medicare Advantage plans in the counties I cover, 2027
3 VNS Health plans are filed in the 17 counties I cover for 2027 (Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Warren and Washington in person, the others by phone and video), according to the CMS landscape file read October 27, 2026. Premiums, benefits and star ratings are in each plan's own documents; which of these I can enroll you in, and whether one fits, is the comparison against your doctors and prescriptions.
| Plan | Type | Sold in |
|---|---|---|
| VNS Health EasyCare (HMO) | HMO | Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Dutchess |
| VNS Health EasyCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) | HMO D-SNP | Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Dutchess |
| VNS Health Total (HMO D-SNP) | HMO D-SNP | Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Dutchess |
Every carrier's plans, county by county: Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Warren, Washington.
What changed for VNS Health from 2026 to 2027
Across the six Capital Region counties: 2 new plans. Every other VNS Health plan continues under the same plan ID; its premium, network and benefits can still change, and your Annual Notice of Change lists what did.
| Change | Plan | Plan ID | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| New for 2027 | VNS Health EasyCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) | H5549-011 | Saratoga |
| New for 2027 | VNS Health Total (HMO D-SNP) | H5549-003 | Saratoga |
From the CMS landscape files for 2026 and 2027, read October 27, 2026. The comparison covers the six Capital Region counties; the other counties on this site have no 2026 list here to compare against. Every carrier's changes, county by county: what changed for 2027.
Capital Region hospitals and VNS Health 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 | Listed | listed as VNS Choice on each hospital's list and in the system's Medicare paragraph |
| St. Peter's Health Partners St. Peter's Hospital (Albany), Samaritan Hospital (Troy), Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital (Schenectady), St. Peter's Health Partners Medical Associates | Listed | listed as VNSNY Choice; Trinity Health Anesthesia Group of New York does not participate |
| Ellis Medicine Ellis Hospital (Schenectady), Bellevue Woman's Center (Niskayuna), Medical Center of Clifton Park, Ellis Health Center | Not listed — verify | not on the list; confirm with the plan |
From the three systems' accepted-insurance pages, read October 15, 2026. "Listed" means the carrier appears on the hospital's list, not that every plan or every physician is in network; "Not accepted" means the hospital states the exclusion; "Not listed" means the carrier is absent from the list, which is unverified rather than excluded. Check the specific plan's directory either way. The full matrix and the hospitals' own wording are on which plans Capital Region hospitals accept; where each VNS Health plan stands, hospital by hospital: Albany Medical Center, St. Peter's Hospital, Ellis Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital.
What to watch
VNS Choice appears on the Albany Med Health System's and St. Peter's Health Partners' published lists but not on Ellis Medicine's (lists read October 15, 2026). The lists name carriers, not plans, so check the specific plan's directory.
How I use this
I'm appointed with VNS Health 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 VNS Health 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: VNS Health's Medicare site.
- VNS Health 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)
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 81 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Insurers' legal names and home offices: carriers page.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Still have a question? Call (518) 902-8822 or book a call.
Do you sell VNS Health Medicare plans?
Yes. I'm appointed with VNS Health and with the other carriers active in the Capital Region, and I'm paid by the carrier rather than by you. Not every VNS Health 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 VNS Health Medicare Advantage?
See the hospital table on this page, taken from the Albany Med Health System's own accepted-insurance list as read October 15, 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 VNS Health the right choice for me?
Only your doctors, hospital, prescriptions and budget can answer that. A VNS Health 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.
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.