Bayside: owning a house does not rule out QI, and EPIC reaches higher than people think

Bayside is single-family houses, Bay Terrace co-ops, and a lot of retirees who paid off a mortgage and now live on Social Security and a pension. Almost none of them think of themselves as candidates for a "Medicaid program," and for full Medicaid they are usually right. But the Medicare Savings Programs in New York have no resource test, which means the house does not count, and EPIC's income ceiling is high enough that most Bayside retirees over 65 are under it. This page explains the two programs Bayside residents most often overlook.

ZIP 11360 covers Bay Terrace and the north, 11361 central Bayside around Bell Boulevard, and 11364 Oakland Gardens to the south. Approximate; verify with USPS. The county is "Queens."

• HIICAP: 1-800-701-0501. Say "Queens." Free, confidential, no sales. Most Bayside residents use the phone.
• NY Connects: 1-800-342-9871 (Relay 7-1-1).
• Nearest in-person sites: India Home in Jamaica (178-36 Wexford Terrace, 917-288-7600, weekdays 9 to 5) by bus toward Jamaica, or RAICES/Corona Senior Center (102-47 43rd Avenue, 718-458-7259, weekdays 9 to 4) by LIRR from Bayside to Flushing–Main Street and the 7 west. Both by appointment through NYC Aging Connect at 212-244-6469 (ask for HIICAP).

Even for QI only, the application goes to HRA, the citywide Medicaid agency. The HRA Medicaid Helpline is 1-888-692-6116. You do not need to be "on Medicaid" to file DOH-4328; QI is a Medicare Savings Program that Medicaid administers, and people approved for QI do not get Medicaid itself.

1. Add up monthly income (Social Security before the Medicare deduction, pension, any annuity). Leave the house, the car, and the savings out; New York applies no resource test to QMB or QI.
2. Compare to the 2026 QI limit on health.ny.gov: $2,474 a month for one person, $3,355 for a couple. QI pays the Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026 on medicare.gov's standard schedule.
3. If you are over the QI line and 65 or older, check EPIC. The state's requirements are annual income below $75,000 single or $100,000 married, enrollment in a Part D plan, and not having full Medicaid. The EPIC Helpline is 1-800-332-3742 (TTY 1-800-290-9138).
4. Extra Help is a separate federal check. For 2026 medicare.gov lists $23,940 a year (one) and $32,460 (couple) in income and $18,090 and $36,100 in resources; unlike the New York MSPs, Extra Help does count savings. Apply through Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
5. Call HIICAP with the numbers and your medication list; the counselor will say which of the three applications is worth filing.

• Ruling yourself out because you own the house. For QMB and QI in New York, only income counts. The house is irrelevant to the application.
• Ignoring EPIC because "that is a low-income program." Its ceiling is $75,000 for one person and $100,000 for a couple, which covers most Bayside retirees over 65 who are in a Part D plan.
• Applying for Extra Help and assuming a denial for resources means no MSP either. The two programs use different rules; a savings account that blocks Extra Help does not affect QI.

Bayside has no hospital of its own; the closest large ones are in Flushing (NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and Flushing Hospital Medical Center). The LIRR Bayside station on the Port Washington branch is the fastest way to Flushing and the 7 train. None of these takes applications.