How many people in are on Medicare?

Refreshed annually
About 3.99 million, or 20% of New York's population, in 2025. Administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare is one of the largest federal programs based on spending, providing health insurance coverage primarily to people 65 and older.

3.99M

enrolled in Medicare programs (2025)

20%

of the state's population insured by Medicare (2025)
Between 2015 and 2025, Medicare enrollment in New York grew from 3.34 million to 3.99 million, up 19.3% over the decade.

In 2025, 3.99 million New York residents were enrolled across all Medicare programs.

Unique enrollment across all parts of Medicare

While people under 65 may qualify with a disability, end-stage renal disease, or ALS, Medicare primarily serves an older population. In 2025, 3.59 million New York residents aged 65 or older were enrolled in at least one part of Medicare — 89.9% of all Medicare beneficiaries in the state.
For comparison, the total 65-and-older population in New York in 2025 was 3.86 million. That means 93% of New York residents in that age group are enrolled in Medicare.

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In 2025, 3.59 million people aged 65 and older in New York were enrolled in Medicare.

Unique enrollment across all parts of Medicare, by age group

A state's share of Medicare coverage largely reflects its age distribution. In 2025, Medicare covered 20% of New York residents, where 19.3% of the population is aged 65 or older. New York ranks 35th of 50 states in Medicare coverage.
The share of New York residents covered by Medicare has risen from 16.7% in 2015.

In 2025, 20% of New York residents were covered by Medicare.

Share of population covered by Medicare and share of population 65 or older

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.