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Carrier directory
No real carrier is named anywhere on this site. Naming one would imply an appointment that does not exist. These six are built to behave like real carriers do - different network shapes, different commission mechanics, and different ways of disappointing you.
At a glance
Star ratings are quality summaries, not price signals. A five-star carrier with a narrow network can still be the wrong plan for a household with an out-of-area specialist.
| Carrier | States | Networks | Tiers filed | Quality | PMPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone Mutual | PA, NJ, DE, MD | HMO / EPO | Bronze, Silver, Gold | 4 of 5 | $24 |
| Longmeadow Health | MA, CT, RI, NH | HMO / PPO | Silver, Gold, Platinum | 4 of 5 | $22 new, $18 renewal |
| Cordelia Health Plans | TX, OK, NM, AZ | HMO / EPO | Bronze, Silver | 3 of 5 | $19 |
| Ninth Street Health | IL, IN, OH, MI | HMO / EPO / PPO | Bronze, Silver, Gold | 4 of 5 | $21 new, $16 renewal |
| Verano Coverage | FL, GA, SC, NC | HMO | Bronze, Silver, Gold | 3 of 5 | $26 new, $20 renewal |
| Harbor & Vale | CA, OR, WA, NV | EPO / PPO | Silver, Gold, Platinum | 5 of 5 | $18 |
Illustrative. Real carrier footprints change every plan year, and a carrier that writes a county this year may not write it next year.
Profiles
Every carrier is a set of trade-offs someone made deliberately. The useful question is whether their trade-offs match yours.
Harrisburg, PA · established 1948
Holds the benchmark Silver in eleven of the fourteen rating areas it writes.
StrengthDeep hospital contracting in eastern Pennsylvania and a stable renewal book.
WatchNo PPO anywhere in the footprint. Out-of-area students are a recurring problem.
Springfield, MA · established 1971
One of the few illustrative carriers still filing a Platinum plan in every rating area.
StrengthRichest plan designs on the demo, and a genuinely broad PPO.
WatchNew-versus-renewal commission split, so the second year pays less.
Austin, TX · established 2004
Aggressive Bronze pricing that pulls the benchmark down across the region.
StrengthThe cheapest gross premiums on the demo, by a wide margin.
WatchNarrow rural networks. Check specialists in any county outside a metro.
Chicago, IL · established 1993
Runs all three network shapes in the same rating areas, which makes it useful for comparison.
StrengthBest provider-directory hygiene of the six. Fewest surprise terminations.
WatchRenewal PMPM drops by a quarter, so a static book slowly earns less.
Tampa, FL · established 2014
Highest new-business commission on the demo, and the highest disenrolment rate to match.
StrengthPays fast, pays first, and is easy to appoint with.
WatchChurn. A book written entirely on Verano looks better in year one than in year three.
Portland, OR · established 1962
Files no Bronze plan at all, which is a deliberate position rather than an oversight.
StrengthHighest quality rating and the calmest claims experience on the demo.
WatchLowest PMPM on the platform. You write it because clients keep it, not for the rate.
Before you enrol
Provider directories are the least reliable document in this industry. They are maintained by carriers, updated on their own schedule, and wrong often enough to matter.
By physician name and by practice address, because they are indexed separately.
Ask specifically whether they take that plan, not that carrier. Carriers run several networks.
Contracts are renegotiated annually. A practice can be in network in December and out in January.
Name, date, and what they said. It is the only leverage you have if the answer turns out to be wrong.
Next
Carrier choice is downstream of network and formulary, which are downstream of your own physicians and prescriptions. Start there and the carrier picks itself.