Medicaid Office in New York

Medicaid in New York is a state-run health coverage program with several local front doors. The New York State Department of Health sets the rules. Depending on your age, income and health situation, you may deal with a county social services office, a New York City Human Resources Administration center, or the NY State of Health online marketplace. This page explains how those pieces fit together and how to use the Medicaid offices listed for the state.

The state has more than 19 million residents, and the offices serving them look very different from one region to another. A Manhattan center handles a very high daily volume. A county office in the North Country may have a handful of caseworkers covering a large, thinly populated area. Knowing which kind of office you need saves time.

Who Runs Medicaid in New York State

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is the single state agency responsible for Medicaid. It writes policy, pays providers and contracts with managed care plans. It does not handle most applications in person. That work is split among four bodies:

• NY State of Health: the official state marketplace. It takes applications from people under 65 who qualify under income-based (MAGI) rules. It also handles the Essential Plan and Child Health Plus.
• Local departments of social services: county offices that generally handle Medicaid for people 65 and older, people who are blind or disabled, and long-term care cases such as nursing home coverage and home care.
• NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA): does the same non-MAGI work for the five boroughs through its own offices and programs.
• Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA): runs the fair hearing process if you disagree with a decision about your case.

For adults under 65, New York uses the expanded Medicaid income limit of 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Children and pregnant people qualify at higher income levels. Child Health Plus covers many children whose families earn too much for Medicaid. Because the dollar figures are updated every year, check current amounts with the state before you decide you do not qualify.

Applying for Medicaid in New York: Online, by Phone or in Person

Most working-age adults and families do not need to visit an office at all. You can apply through NY State of Health online, by phone, or with a free enrollment assistant, called a navigator, who works in community organizations and health centers. Many people find a navigator easier than a government counter because the appointment is scheduled and the helper stays with you through the whole form.

Walk into a local office when your case is more complicated. Typical reasons include:

You are 65 or older and need help paying for care. You have a disability determination to document. You need home care, a personal care aide or nursing home coverage. Or you have received a notice asking for proof that you cannot answer by mail.

Bring photo identification, proof of citizenship or immigration status, proof of New York residence, recent pay stubs or other income records, and bank statements. Seniors and people with disabilities should also bring Social Security award letters, pension statements, and information about property, vehicles and life insurance. Long-term care applications add a five-year look-back on asset transfers for nursing home coverage, so gather records of any large gifts or sales.

Medicaid Offices in New York City, Long Island and Upstate

Our database lists 29 Medicaid offices across the state. The mix reflects where people live, but the real differences are in how busy each site is and how the work is organized.

New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens

Manhattan has the largest cluster. The New York County listings include the New York New York Medicaid Office at 620 West 137th Street, the Manhattan New York Medicaid Office at 120 Broadway, and the NYC New York Medicaid Office at 622 West 168th Street in Washington Heights. Others are at 330 West 34th Street, 260 11th Avenue, 1901 1st Avenue and 186 1st Avenue. Because several sit in different neighborhoods, it is worth choosing the one closest to your subway line rather than defaulting to Midtown.

In Brooklyn, the Brooklyn New York Medicaid Office at 441 Clarkson Avenue in East Flatbush and the Brooklyn NY Medicaid Office at 3050 West 21st Street in Coney Island both fall in Kings County. In Queens, the Elmhurst New York Medicaid Office is at 7901 Broadway. New York City offices tend to be crowded early in the morning and again after lunch, so a mid-morning weekday visit often works better.

Long Island and the Hudson Valley

Suffolk County has a Medicaid presence in two very different places. The Hauppauge New York Medicaid Office at 300 Motor Parkway and the Hauppauge NY Medicaid Office at 250 Veterans Memorial Highway serve the central part of the county. The Riverhead New York Medicaid Office at 893 East Main Street serves the East End. Distances here are real. Someone from Montauk or Orient faces a much longer trip than someone from Islip, so ask about phone and mail options before you drive. More listings appear on the Suffolk County page.

North of the city, the Pearl River New York Medicaid Office at 1 Blue Hill Plaza and the Pomona New York Medicaid Office at 50 Sanatorium Road serve Rockland County. The Kingston New York Medicaid Office on Development Court serves Ulster County.

Upstate and rural counties

Upstate, the large cities carry their own offices. The Rochester NY Medicaid Office at 144 Exchange Boulevard and the Rochester New York Medicaid Office at 259 Monroe Avenue are in Monroe County. The Syracuse New York Medicaid Office at 615 Erie Boulevard West serves Onondaga County. The Buffalo New York Medicaid Office at 158 Pearl Street serves Erie County.

Smaller counties work differently. The Bath New York Medicaid Office at 3 Pulteney Square East serves Steuben County. The Malone New York Medicaid Office at 158 Finney Boulevard serves Franklin County, near the Canadian border. The Norwich, Rome and Menands listings cover Chenango, Oneida and Albany counties. In these places a single county agency usually handles Medicaid, food assistance and cash benefits together, so the waiting room may be shared. Staff often know applicants by name, which can help, but hours may be shorter and appointments harder to change.

Planning Your Visit to a New York Medicaid Office

Call before you go. The listings in our directory show the phone number for each site, and that number is the quickest way to confirm the address, hours and whether the location handles the service you need. A few locations are administrative buildings rather than walk-in centers, and some services have moved to appointment-only scheduling.

Keep every notice you receive. Medicaid letters carry deadlines, often ten to thirty days, and they list the exact documents requested. Bring the notice with you, along with copies of your papers rather than originals when possible. Ask for a receipt or a written confirmation of anything you hand in.

If you disagree with a denial, reduction or closing of your coverage, you have the right to request a fair hearing through OTDA. The deadline is printed on your notice, so act quickly and do not wait for the office to reverse itself. Many legal aid organizations in the state help with these hearings for free.

Medicaid in New York is administered by the state health and human services agency, providing health coverage for eligible low-income residents through a combination of fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems tailored to the state's population needs.

Medicaid Office locations are available in 19 cities across New York. They are spread across 14 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include New York, Rochester, Hauppauge, which have the largest Medicaid caseloads in the state and dedicated eligibility offices to serve high-need urban populations.

Residents of New York can apply for Medicaid online through the state's health benefits portal or health exchange, by calling the Medicaid agency's toll-free number, or by visiting a local eligibility office with the required documentation.

Residents of New York who currently receive Medicaid should complete their annual renewal on time to avoid a gap in coverage. Most states send renewal notices by mail and email, and online renewal is typically the fastest method to maintain uninterrupted healthcare coverage.

Browse Medicaid Office by county across New York to find the nearest location.

Medicaid Coverage Across New York's Regions: What to Expect

New York spends more on Medicaid than most states, and that scale shapes the experience of using it. Most enrollees receive care through a Medicaid managed care plan chosen from several available in their county. The plans differ by region, so the options in Manhattan are not the same as in Franklin or Steuben County. Check that your doctor and pharmacy are in a plan's network before you pick one.

Offices also differ in how they communicate. Some counties lean on mail and phone, while city centers handle large numbers of walk-ins. If you live near a county line, confirm which agency holds your case before traveling, because Medicaid follows your residence address rather than your workplace. Residents near Rockland and Onondaga can browse Rockland County and Onondaga County listings for nearby sites.