CDPHP Medicare Advantage Plans 2027: Plans, Service Area and the Excellus Merger

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated September 21, 2026

CDPHP, the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, is one of the few Medicare Advantage carriers in upstate New York that was built by local doctors rather than a national insurer. It has long been a strong regional choice around Albany, and it went into 2026 as a noticeably smaller plan than the year before: fewer counties, no PPOs, and a pending merger that will change who owns it.

This guide covers what CDPHP offers going into 2027, what each plan costs, exactly which counties it still serves and which it left, what the Excellus merger means for members, and how to check a CDPHP plan before you enroll.

Established in 1984, CDPHP describes itself as a physician-founded, member-focused, not-for-profit health plan. It is headquartered in Latham, just outside Albany, and serves members across dozens of New York counties through its commercial, Medicaid and Medicare lines. Its Medicare Advantage plans are sold under the CDPHP Medicare Advantage name.

That local, not-for-profit structure is the main reason people consider CDPHP. It is also the reason 2026 hit it hard. CDPHP said changes to the Medicare Wage Index produced sizable losses for small, regional, not-for-profit plans like itself, and it responded by shrinking both its plan lineup and its service area.

The 2027 CDPHP plans, premiums and benefits become viewable on October 1, 2026, and they may change from this year’s levels. The 2026 lineup below is the clearest guide to what CDPHP offers today. Every plan is an HMO.

The pattern is a straightforward trade: the more you pay each month, the lower the out-of-pocket maximum and the larger the dental allowance. On the 2026 $0 plan, a primary care visit is $0 and a specialist visit is $35. The $0 plan also carries a $500 drug deductible on tiers 3 through 5, while Choice Rx has none, which matters a great deal if you take brand-name drugs. Not all plans offer all benefits, and amounts may change for 2027.

Because every CDPHP plan is now an HMO, the network and referral rules apply across the board. Our guide to Medicare Advantage HMO plans explains how those rules work and what happens if you go out of network.

CDPHP has a strong quality record. For 2025, CMS rated both its Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans 4.5 out of 5 stars, which CDPHP described as among the highest in New York and the country. The 2027 ratings publish in early October 2026, and our guide to the 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings covers when they land and how the major carriers compare.

Keep in mind that a rating measures the plan across its whole membership, and it trails the performance it describes by a year or two. A plan that has just cut counties and products may not show the effect of those changes in its rating yet. Check the current rating shown next to each plan in the Plan Finder rather than relying on an older headline figure.

For 2026, CDPHP’s individual Medicare Advantage plans are sold in 18 New York counties, concentrated in the Capital Region and the North Country:

The 2027 service area will not be confirmed until plans publish on October 1, 2026. After a cut this size, it is worth checking your ZIP code every year rather than assuming last year’s plan is still sold where you live.

In the Capital Region, CDPHP’s closest competitor is MVP Health Care, which sells both HMO-POS and PPO plans across 55 New York counties. See MVP Medicare Advantage plans 2027 to compare the two in your county.

If CDPHP no longer sells in your county, you still have options. Our guide to Medicare Advantage plans in New York 2027 shows which carriers cover each part of the state.

In May 2024, CDPHP and The Lifetime Healthcare Companies announced a planned affiliation. Lifetime is the parent company of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and Univera Healthcare, and it has since become CDPHP’s parent company as well. CDPHP says the affiliation has already let it integrate people, systems and vendors with its new sister plans.

A second step is still ahead. CDPHP filed to merge with Excellus Health Plan, Inc. in late 2025, with the merger planned for early 2027 and subject to New York State approval. Once it is final, CDPHP will join Excellus Health Plan as an additional not-for-profit health plan.

CDPHP is part of a wider pattern. Regional, locally rooted plans have been cutting counties to protect their core markets. UPMC Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania did the same for 2026. If you are weighing CDPHP against the national carriers, our roundup of the best Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 compares them on ratings, stability and availability.

If you live in one of the upstate counties CDPHP dropped for 2026, Excellus may be your closest local option. See our guide to Excellus Medicare Advantage plans 2027 for its plans, premiums and counties by region.

Before you commit to any carrier, check what is shifting across the market next year in our guide to Medicare Advantage plan changes for 2027, and see the bigger picture in our overview of Medicare Advantage plans for 2027.