The Bronx (Bronx County): D-SNPs, IB-Dual, MAP, and default enrollment letters

County on forms: Bronx County
Medicaid run by: NYC HRA, citywide
Say on the HIICAP line: “Bronx”

In short

The Bronx has one of the highest shares of Medicaid enrollment of any county in the country, which means a large number of people move from Medicaid managed care onto Medicare every month, and a large number of default enrollment letters go out. The county name matches the borough name here, so the county field on forms is easy. What is harder is figuring out which letter you got and what happens to your Medicaid plan if you say no.

All five-borough integrated dual plans on the state’s 2026 chart include Bronx County. So the plan named in your letter almost certainly covers your address; the question is whether it covers your doctors, your pharmacy, and (if you have it) your home care.

This hub is educational. It names no plans and makes no recommendations. It is a map of who to call and what to ask.

How the help channels work in The Bronx

NYC HRA administers Medicaid in the Bronx. There is no Bronx County Department of Social Services. Use the HRA Medicaid Helpline for eligibility, renewals, and address changes; Bronx Medicaid office locations are on nyc.gov/hra.

HIICAP counseling in the Bronx is coordinated by NYC Aging. Call the statewide HIICAP line and say “Bronx,” or call Aging Connect and ask for HIICAP. NYC Aging’s citywide listing shows Bronx community counseling sites at Neighborhood SHOPP on East 172nd Street (temporary address) and at the R.A.I.N. Parkchester Neighborhood Senior Center on Metropolitan Avenue, both by appointment.

New York Medicaid Choice handles questions about Medicaid managed care enrollment, opting out of default enrollment, and Managed Long Term Care and Medicaid Advantage Plus. If your notice mentions long-term services and a MAP plan, that is the line to call first, alongside HIICAP.

What to ask, in one sentence each

HIICAP“I have Medicare and Medicaid and got a default enrollment letter. Can you compare the D-SNP with Original Medicare plus a drug plan for my prescriptions and doctors?”
New York Medicaid Choice“If I opt out of the D-SNP, what happens to my Medicaid managed care plan and my home care? How do I opt out, and by when?”
Your plan (number on the letter)“Are my doctors and my pharmacy in the D-SNP’s Medicare network, not just the Medicaid network?”
HRA Medicaid Helpline“Is my Medicaid active and is my address correct?” (Only if your case, not your plan, is the problem.)

Free public help from The Bronx

These lines are run by New York State, New York City, or Medicare. None of them sells plans. When the HIICAP recording asks for your county, say “Bronx.”

Numbers checked against official sources on September 10, 2026. Hours and phone menus change; the official sites are aging.ny.gov, nyc.gov/aging, nymedicaidchoice.com, nyconnects.ny.gov, and nyc.gov/hra.

In-person HIICAP counseling sites in The Bronx

NYC Aging publishes a citywide list of community sites where HIICAP counselors meet people. These are the The Bronx entries as listed on September 10, 2026. All are by appointment. Call the site or NYC Aging Connect (212-244-6469) before going; sites and hours change.

Neighborhood SHOPP
910 East 172nd Street, 1st Floor, Bronx, NY 10460 (temporary address)
Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
By appointment
718-620-4650
R.A.I.N. Parkchester Neighborhood Senior Center
1380 Metropolitan Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462
Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
By appointment
718-597-9220

Neighborhood guides in The Bronx

Each neighborhood page adds local ZIP orientation, the closest in-person counseling site, a letter tip for that area, and the mistakes people there tend to make.

Default enrollment letter tip for The Bronx

Bronx residents are more likely than most New Yorkers to already receive home care or other community long-term services when Medicare begins. If that is you, look carefully at whether your notice is the “LTSS” version, which points to a Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) plan, rather than the standard IB-Dual version. The MAP path changes who authorizes your home care hours, so ask both New York Medicaid Choice and HIICAP how the transition would work before the effective date.

Full walkthrough: the default enrollment letter decoder.

Letter checklist (any borough)

Effective date: the day your Medicare and the D-SNP would start (usually the first of a month).
Opt-out deadline: generally the day before the effective date. Confirm it on the letter.
Which version: standard (IB-Dual, you stay in your Medicaid managed care or HARP plan) or long-term-services (points to a Medicaid Advantage Plus plan).
Plan names: your current Medicaid plan and the aligned Medicare D-SNP, from the same company.
How to opt out: call the plan number on the letter or send a written request; New York Medicaid Choice can connect you.
What you lose by opting out: in most cases your Medicaid managed care plan, with Medicaid continuing as fee-for-service.

Common mistakes in The Bronx

Ignoring the letter because a family member “handles the insurance.” The plan will generally only discuss the notice with the member or someone the member has authorized.
Assuming that opting out keeps everything as it is. Opting out of the aligned D-SNP generally moves your Medicaid to fee-for-service, and home care would then be arranged differently.
Calling the wrong number for the wrong question. HIICAP compares Medicare choices; New York Medicaid Choice handles Medicaid plan enrollment; HRA handles Medicaid eligibility. None of them enrolls you in a Medicare plan on the spot.

Orientation: hospitals people in The Bronx often mention

Orientation only. Listing a hospital or center here is not a recommendation and says nothing about which plans it accepts. Always check the plan’s own provider directory.

Montefiore Medical Center (Moses Campus) · Norwood, near Fordham
NYC Health + Hospitals / Jacobi · public hospital near Pelham Parkway
NYC Health + Hospitals / Lincoln · public hospital in Mott Haven
BronxCare Health System · Grand Concourse

Want your next steps in writing?

Answer five short questions about your coverage and your letter. We will email you a plain-language summary of what to ask and who to call from The Bronx. Optional callback. This tool does not enroll you in any plan, does not decide eligibility, and is not from the government. Free HIICAP counseling is always available first.

Get dual-plan help Call HIICAP 1-800-701-0501