Which Medicare Advantage plans do Capital Region hospitals accept?
The question behind most Medicare Advantage regrets in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga: is my hospital in the network? The hospitals publish the answer, but on three different websites in three formats, and the lists have changed twice in three years. This page puts the 2026 lists side by side, quotes the changes with dates, and explains the one route that works at every hospital regardless.
As of September 2026, from the hospitals' own accepted-insurance lists: Albany Med Health System (Albany Medical Center, Saratoga Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital) participates with Aetna, CDPHP, EmblemHealth, Empire BlueCross, Fidelis, Hamaspik, Highmark, MVP and Nascentia Medicare Advantage plans, accepts UnitedHealthcare at Albany Medical Center since December 15, 2025, and has not accepted Humana Medicare for non-emergency care since June 30, 2024; Wellcare is not on its list. St. Peter's Health Partners (St. Peter's, Samaritan, Sunnyview) participates with Aetna, CDPHP, Highmark, MVP, Empire, Fidelis, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare and its own Trinity Health Plan of New York, and dropped Humana Medicare on January 1, 2025. Ellis Medicine lists Aetna, CDPHP, Highmark (Blue Shield of NENY), MVP, Humana, Empire, Fidelis, UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare. Original Medicare with a Medigap policy is accepted at every one of these hospitals; in New York you can switch to it in any month.
The 2026 lists, side by side
Each hospital system publishes which insurers it participates with. The table condenses those lists to the Medicare Advantage carriers sold in the Capital Region; the wording under each column comes from the hospitals' pages, read on September 16, 2026. "Partial" means the hospital lists the carrier with a note that it does not participate in all of that carrier's plans.
| Carrier | Albany Med Health System | St. Peter's Health Partners | Ellis Medicine |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDPHP | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MVP Health Care | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern NY | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aetna | Partial listed with 'does not participate in all plans' |
Yes | Yes |
| UnitedHealthcare | Yes Albany Medical Center: all UHC products except Medicaid, effective Dec 15, 2025; Saratoga and Glens Falls also list United Healthcare |
Yes Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital does not participate in UHC Medicare plans |
Yes |
| Humana | No non-emergency services not accepted after June 30, 2024 |
No Medicare plans no longer participating effective Jan 1, 2025 |
Yes listed; Humana Medicaid excluded |
| Wellcare | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fidelis Care | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Anthem) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EmblemHealth | Partial listed with 'does not participate in all plans' |
Partial physician services only; commercial and Medicare Advantage |
Partial listed as GHI/Emblem, 'does not participate in all plans' |
| Trinity Health Plan of New York | No not on the system's list |
Yes the system's own Medicare Advantage plan |
No not on Ellis's list |
Sources: the three hospital systems' accepted-insurance pages, linked under Sources below. A "Yes" means the hospital lists the carrier; it does not guarantee that every plan that carrier sells, or every physician who works at the hospital, is in network. Verify the specific plan in the plan's provider directory before enrolling. Lists change; this table is refreshed each October before the Annual Enrollment Period.
Albany Med Health System
Hospitals: Albany Medical Center (Albany), Saratoga Hospital (Saratoga Springs), Glens Falls Hospital, Columbia Memorial (Hudson), Malta Med Emergent Care.
The system lists its participating Medicare Advantage plans as Aetna, CDPHP, Emblem, Empire Blue Cross, Fidelis, Hamaspik, Highmark, MVP and Nascentia, and says Albany Medical Center accepts all UnitedHealthcare products except Medicaid effective December 15, 2025. Saratoga Hospital's list notes that the system stopped accepting Humana Medicare for non-emergency services after June 30, 2024. Wellcare does not appear on any of the system's lists.
Source: Accepted insurance (Albany Med Health System), read September 16, 2026.
St. Peter's Health Partners
Hospitals: St. Peter's Hospital (Albany), Samaritan Hospital (Troy), Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital (Schenectady), St. Peter's Health Partners Medical Associates.
The list includes Aetna, CDPHP, Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York, MVP Health Care, Empire Blue Cross, Fidelis Care, United Healthcare (Sunnyview does not participate in Medicare plans), WellCare, Trinity Health Plan of New York (formerly MediGold, the system's own plan) and EmblemHealth for physician services on commercial and Medicare Advantage plans. Humana Medicare plans: no longer participating effective January 1, 2025.
Source: Accepted insurance (St. Peter's Health Partners), read September 16, 2026.
Ellis Medicine
Hospitals: Ellis Hospital (Schenectady), Bellevue Woman's Center (Niskayuna), Medical Center of Clifton Park, Ellis Health Center.
Ellis lists Aetna (not Aetna Medicaid), Blue Shield of Northeastern NY, CDPHP, Humana (not Humana Medicaid), Empire BlueCross BlueShield, Fidelis Care of NY, GHI/Emblem (not all plans), MVP Health Plan, United Health Care and WellCare, and notes that hospital-based physician groups bill separately and may participate in different plans.
Source: Participating insurance listing (Ellis Medicine), read September 16, 2026.
What the lists don't tell you
- Carrier isn't plan. "Aetna" on a hospital list can mean some Aetna Medicare plans and not others; Albany Med and Ellis both say so. The only reliable check is the plan's own provider directory, plan by plan, or a call to the hospital's billing office with the exact plan name.
- Hospital isn't doctor. Anesthesia, radiology, pathology and emergency physicians often bill separately under their own contracts. Ellis lists eleven such groups. Federal surprise-billing rules protect you for emergency care and for out-of-network doctors at an in-network hospital, but not for a hospital that is out of network.
- HMO versus PPO. An HMO pays nothing out of network except emergencies. A PPO pays out of network at a higher cost. The same carrier sells both, and the hospital list doesn't distinguish.
- Contracts end mid-year. The Humana changes at Albany Med (June 2024) and St. Peter's (January 2025) happened between enrollment periods. Plans must notify you, and a mid-year termination can create a special enrollment period, but not always.
The route that works at every hospital
Original Medicare has no network. Every hospital on this page participates in it, as do nearly all doctors in the region. Paired with a Medigap policy, which in New York can be bought in any month without health questions and at the same community rate, it covers Albany Med, St. Peter's, Ellis, Saratoga Hospital and Glens Falls alike, and hospitals anywhere in the country. It costs more per month than a $0-premium Advantage plan and it needs a separate Part D plan; what it buys is never having to read this page again. The trade-offs are on Medigap, Medicare Advantage and the seven-question guide; current Albany-region Medigap premiums are on the rates page.
How I check it
Before recommending any Advantage plan I check three things by name: each of your doctors in the plan's directory, the hospital you'd choose against the plan (not just the carrier), and the plan's history of network changes in this region. Each fall I re-run the check for existing clients against the hospitals' updated lists, before the Annual Notice of Change arrives. There's no fee for any of it. Send me your plan name and hospital, or book a call.
- Accepted insurance (Albany Med Health System) — Medicare Advantage list; UHC effective Dec 15, 2025; Humana after June 30, 2024; checked September 16, 2026
- Accepted insurance (St. Peter's Health Partners) — Humana Medicare no longer participating effective Jan 1, 2025; checked September 16, 2026
- Participating insurance listing (Ellis Medicine) — checked September 16, 2026
- Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare.gov) — HMO and PPO network rules
- Information for Medicare beneficiaries: Medigap in New York (NY DFS) — guaranteed issue year-round
- Joining a plan: enrollment periods (Medicare.gov)
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.
Does Albany Med accept Medicare?
Yes. Albany Medical Center, Saratoga Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital and Columbia Memorial all participate in Original Medicare, so anyone with Original Medicare, with or without a Medigap policy, is covered there. The question that needs checking is Medicare Advantage, where the answer depends on the carrier and the specific plan.
Which Medicare Advantage plans does Albany Med accept in 2026?
Albany Med Health System's list of participating Medicare Advantage plans is Aetna, CDPHP, Emblem, Empire Blue Cross, Fidelis, Hamaspik, Highmark, MVP and Nascentia. Albany Medical Center also accepts all UnitedHealthcare products except Medicaid, effective December 15, 2025. Humana Medicare has not been accepted for non-emergency services since June 30, 2024, and Wellcare is not on the list. Aetna and Emblem carry the note 'does not participate in all plans', so the specific plan must be checked.
Does St. Peter's take Humana Medicare Advantage?
No. St. Peter's Health Partners' accepted-insurance list marks Humana Medicare plans as no longer participating effective January 1, 2025. That covers St. Peter's Hospital, Samaritan Hospital in Troy and the medical group. Humana members who want St. Peter's or Albany Med need to change plans during an enrollment period, or move to Original Medicare with Medigap, which New York allows in any month.
Which plans does Ellis Hospital accept?
Ellis Medicine lists Aetna, Blue Shield of Northeastern NY (Highmark), CDPHP, Humana, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, Fidelis Care, GHI/Emblem (not all plans), MVP, United Healthcare and WellCare, alongside Original Medicare and Medicaid. Ellis is the only one of the three systems that lists Humana. Hospital-based physicians (anesthesia, radiology, pathology) bill separately and may not be in the same networks.
The hospital is in-network but my doctor isn't. What then?
Then the plan doesn't work for you. A hospital contract and a physician contract are separate; Albany Med's own page warns that participating with a carrier doesn't mean every plan or every service is covered. Check the plan's provider directory for each doctor by name, call the practice with the plan name, and check the hospital list. I do all three before recommending a plan.
My Advantage plan lost my hospital. Can I switch?
During the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7) you can change Advantage plans for January 1; during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31) you can make one change if you're already in an Advantage plan; and if your plan's contract with the hospital ends mid-year, some members qualify for a special enrollment period. New York adds a route most states don't have: Medigap is guaranteed-issue year-round, so you can leave Advantage for Original Medicare plus Medigap at the next available election and be covered at every hospital on this page.
Check your plan against your hospital
Your plan name, your doctors and the hospital you'd choose. I check the plan's own directory, not just the carrier's name, and tell you whether to keep it, switch plans, or move to Medigap. No fee.