How to apply for a Medicare Savings Program in New York

Before you start: one form, one door

New York’s Medicare Savings Program application is state form DOH-4328. The NY Department of Health’s MSP page publishes it in English and 16 other languages and notes that a signature is required, on the back of the form. The state page says paper applications must be mailed to the local district where you live. Inside the five boroughs that district is the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA). In the other 57 counties it is your county Department of Social Services (DSS).

People who are 65 or older, people with a disability, and people who already have Medicare have long applied this way. Since late 2025, the state has also been taking applications from people with Medicare and from Medicare Savings Program applicants through the NY State of Health Customer Service Center (1-855-355-5777), and it says HRA and county offices still help. HRA’s Health Assistance page says it accepts applications from residents who are 65 or over, people of any age living with a disability or blindness, and people who receive Medicare and are not a parent or caretaker of minor children.

Immigration status from October 1, 2026

Starting October 1, 2026, income is not the only limit. NYS Department of Health, GIS 26 MA/14 limits the Medicare Savings Program, including QMB and QI, to U.S. citizens and nationals; green-card holders (lawful permanent residents) who have finished or are exempt from the 5-year wait; Cuban-Haitian entrants; and Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants. Other lawfully present immigrants, including refugees, asylees, parolees, and people with temporary protected status, are not eligible for the Medicare Savings Program, and New York does not fund a state-only backup for it. Income and resource dollar limits are unchanged. Medicare itself is a separate federal question. The same notice says affected non-citizens who already have Medicare may keep it until federal changes take effect January 4, 2027, and a CMS rule that is still proposed, not final, would end that Medicare on February 1, 2027, after notices from Social Security. For a specific case, call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501 or a legal aid office.

Step 1: Check the numbers with a counselor

Call HIICAP and say your county. A counselor will tell you whether your household looks closer to QMB, QI, or full Medicaid, and what each would mean for the Part B premium and your prescriptions. Have your Social Security benefit letter or a recent statement nearby. This takes minutes and costs nothing. The figures are on the cost-program overview.

Step 2: Gather the documents

HRA’s page says applicants must show proof of residency, identity, income, and immigration status, and that proof of Medicare is now required as well. For a Medicare Savings Program application that typically means:

• Your Medicare card, or the Social Security letter showing your Medicare start date.
• Photo ID, or the state’s alternative documents for identity and date of birth.
• Proof of income: the Social Security benefit letter, pension statements, pay stubs if working, and any other monthly income.
• Proof of your address, such as a lease, utility bill, or a letter mailed to you.
• Proof of citizenship or immigration status when it cannot be verified electronically.

New York has no resource test for the Medicare Savings Programs, so bank statements are generally not needed for an MSP-only application. They are needed if you are applying for full Medicaid at the same time. Send copies, never originals.

Step 3: Where to mail the MSP application in NYC

HRA’s Medicare Savings Program brochure (BRC-1071) lists two mailing addresses. If you are applying for the MSP only, mail the application package to HRA/Medical Assistance Program, Initial Eligibility Unit, 5th Fl., PO Box 24390, Brooklyn, NY 11202-9814. If you are applying for the MSP and Medicaid together, mail it to HRA/Medical Assistance Program, MSP-CREP, 5th Fl., PO Box 24330, Brooklyn, NY 11202-9801. Our post on where to mail the MSP application has the addresses for the other 57 counties. Other ways to file in the city:

1. Phone. Call the HRA Medicaid Helpline at 1-888-692-6116. Ask for the Medicare Savings Program and how to submit the application.
2. Online. HRA’s page says you can apply through ACCESS HRA, the city’s online benefits portal.
3. Mail or in person. Mail the DOH-4328 to HRA, or bring it to an HRA Medicaid office. Office locations are listed on nyc.gov/hra and they change, so check the site rather than an old flyer.

There is no Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island Medicaid phone line. Every borough uses the same HRA helpline. Our borough and neighborhood pages cover the local layer: which county name goes on the form, and where the nearest free in-person counselor is.

Step 3, outside New York City

Mail the same DOH-4328 form to the county Department of Social Services where you live. County DSS numbers are on each county’s official website. HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501 can help you fill out the form wherever you live.

Step 4: What happens after approval

Once an MSP is approved, the state notifies Medicare and the Part B premium stops being deducted from your Social Security payment. That change often takes a month or two to show up, and it often comes with a lump-sum refund of premiums deducted for months the MSP already covered. If your check has not changed after a couple of months, call HRA or your county to confirm the approval went through, and ask a HIICAP counselor what to expect.

Extra Help follows automatically: your drug plan is told you have it and pharmacy copays drop. If you were denied because a document was missing, HRA generally defers the application and gives you time to send it rather than denying outright; read the notice for the deadline.

Step 5: Renewals

Medicare Savings Programs are renewed, usually once a year. Watch for the renewal notice and return it on time. If your address changes, tell HRA or your county right away so the notice reaches you. The HRA Medicaid Helpline handles address changes for city residents. Our renewal-season letters decoder explains which office sends the renewal and what the grey, orange, and blue Medicare notices mean.

Extra Help and EPIC on their own

• Extra Help without an MSP: apply through Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or online. Applying for Extra Help also starts a Medicare Savings Program application with the state unless you opt out.
• EPIC (65 and older, not on full Medicaid): apply through the state EPIC program. The EPIC Helpline is 1-800-332-3742 (TTY 1-800-290-9138), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the application because you own a home, a co-op, or have savings. New York does not count resources for QMB or QI.
• Counting a working adult child’s salary as household income. The MSP household is the applicant, or the couple if married and living together.
• Writing the borough name instead of the county name: Brooklyn is Kings, Manhattan is New York, Staten Island is Richmond.
• Sending original documents. Send copies.
• Letting the renewal notice sit. QI in particular is funded by a yearly allotment; do not leave an application or renewal in a drawer.

Medicare Savings Program phone numbers and free help

There is no single MSP hotline. In New York City, call the HRA Medicaid Helpline at 1-888-692-6116. The state’s Medicare Savings Program 2026 page lists the Medicaid Helpline at 1-800-541-2831 for questions. NY State of Health takes applications at 1-855-355-5777. For free, one-on-one help with the form, call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501.