What is a HARP in New York? Who qualifies, how to check, and how to enroll

In short: a HARP (Health and Recovery Plan) is a New York Medicaid managed care plan for adults with significant mental health or substance use needs. It covers regular Medicaid services and adds extra recovery services and care management. To join, you must be 21 or older, be eligible for Medicaid managed care, and meet the state's behavioral health high-risk criteria. If you qualify, the state or New York Medicaid Choice mails you a letter. Joining is voluntary.

Last checked September 28, 2026, against the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) HARP pages and OMH's HARP enrollment guide.

What a HARP adds

• Everything a regular Medicaid plan covers, physical and behavioral health, managed in one plan.
• CORE services (Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment) for eligible members.
• Adult Behavioral Health Home and Community-Based Services (BH HCBS) for members who qualify.
• Care management through a Health Home. OMH says HARP members must be offered it. The care manager helps decide which services fit you.

Who qualifies

• Age 21 or older.
• Eligible for Medicaid managed care.
• Meets the NYS behavioral health high-risk criteria. Eligibility is based on things like past use of Medicaid behavioral health services.
• The state makes a new list of people who are HARP-eligible every other month.

If you have Medicare as well as Medicaid, different rules apply. Read our HARP and Medicare guide before you make any change.

How to check if you are eligible

1. Look for a letter from New York State or New York Medicaid Choice. OMH says eligible people get one in the mail.
2. Ask your provider to look up your status. Providers see a code on your Medicaid file: H9 means you meet the criteria to enroll in a HARP. H1 means you are enrolled in a HARP.
3. Or call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-855-789-4277 (TTY 1-888-329-1541) and ask if you are HARP-eligible.

Step by step: joining a HARP

1. Check which HARPs serve your county. OMH points to the DOH plan directory.
2. Check your doctors. Call the HARP and ask if your therapist, psychiatrist, and primary doctor are in network.
3. Enroll by phone. Call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-855-789-4277, or NY State of Health at 1-855-355-5777 if your Medicaid is through NY State of Health. OMH's guide says the person enrolling must be on the call.
4. Ask for a Health Home care manager once you are in. That is how you get connected to CORE and BH HCBS services.
5. Keep your confirmation letter with the start date.

Joining is voluntary. OMH's guide says you can enroll at any time, even if you opted out before.

Who cannot join, and exceptions

• Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) members cannot join a HARP, but OMH says those with the H9 code can still get CORE services.
• HIV Special Needs Plan (HIV-SNP) members can get BH HCBS and CORE services without switching.
• People under 21 are not eligible.

If you have Medicare and are choosing between plan types, our D-SNP vs MAP guide may help.

Common mistakes

• Throwing away the eligibility letter because it looks like marketing. It comes from the state or New York Medicaid Choice.
• Joining without checking whether your current providers are in the HARP's network.
• Joining but never asking for a care manager. Without one, most people never use CORE or BH HCBS.
• Assuming you can't join because you said no before. You can enroll at any time.
• Changing plans after Medicare starts without reading the Medicare rules first.

Want help with this? Get free one-on-one guidance.

If you have Medicare and Medicaid and want help sorting out HARP, D-SNP, or MAP options, start with our short form. At the end you can ask for free one-on-one guidance. It is optional, and the state still makes every enrollment decision.