- County on forms
- Bronx County (Bronx)
- Medicaid run by
- NYC HRA, citywide
- ZIP codes (approx.)
- 10463, 10471
ZIP codes are orientation only. Verify yours with USPS.
Who this page helps
Riverdale is a neighborhood of co-op towers along the Henry Hudson Parkway, garden apartments near Johnson Avenue, and many buildings with naturally occurring retirement community programs. Residents who moved in decades ago have stayed, so many households now hold Medicare and Medicaid together. Some got Medicaid first through a managed care plan and are now reaching 65, when the plan’s default enrollment letter shows up in the lobby mailbox.
This page is for those residents, and for the adult children who call from Westchester or out of state to ask what the letter means. It covers what the notice asks, what happens if you do nothing or opt out, and which free counselors you can reach from Riverdale. It does not decide anything about your coverage and does not enroll anyone.
What “local” means for Medicare and Medicaid in Riverdale
Riverdale sits in Bronx County, and because it is inside New York City, Medicaid is handled by the Human Resources Administration (HRA) rather than a county office. ZIP 10463 covers the Kingsbridge and Spuyten Duyvil side and 10471 covers North Riverdale and Fieldston (approximate; verify with USPS). When a form asks for your county, write “Bronx,” even if your doctors are in Manhattan.
Riverdale has no hospital of its own; NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital is across the Broadway Bridge in Inwood, and Montefiore’s Moses Campus in Norwood is a bus ride east. Every New York City integrated dual plan on the state’s 2026 chart lists all five counties, so a Manhattan hospital is not outside a Bronx plan’s service area. Whether a practice is in a specific D-SNP’s Medicare network is the separate question. The 1 train at 231st and 238th Streets and Metro-North’s Riverdale station cover most trips.
Riverdale has large Russian- and Spanish-speaking communities on the Kingsbridge side and a sizable Jewish community; every number on this page offers an interpreter if you ask.
How to get free help from Riverdale
- Call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501 and say “Bronx” when the recording asks for your county. Ask the counselor to compare the D-SNP on your letter with Original Medicare plus a drug plan, using your prescription list.
- NYC Aging’s two Bronx HIICAP sites are Neighborhood SHOPP, 910 East 172nd Street, 1st Floor (temporary address), 718-620-4650, and R.A.I.N. Parkchester Neighborhood Senior Center, 1380 Metropolitan Avenue, 718-597-9220, both by appointment and neither near Riverdale. Call NYC Aging Connect at 212-244-6469 and ask whether a phone appointment will do.
- For the opt-out itself, or any question about your Medicaid managed care plan, call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-800-505-5678 (TTY 1-888-329-1541). They can connect you to your plan, which is where an opt-out request goes, by phone or in writing.
- Renewals, address changes, and coverage gaps are HRA matters: 1-888-692-6116. For home care questions, NY Connects is 1-800-342-9871.
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 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.”
- HIICAP (free Medicare counseling)Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.1-800-701-0501
- NYC Aging ConnectAsk for HIICAP; in-person appointments. Also 212-AGING-NYC212-244-6469
- New York Medicaid ChoiceMedicaid plan enrollment and opt-out help. TTY 1-888-329-1541. Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Sat, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.1-800-505-5678
- NY Medicaid Choice long-term care lineMAP, MLTC, PACE1-888-401-6582
- NY ConnectsLong-term services and supports, any age1-800-342-9871
- NYC HRA Medicaid HelplineYour Medicaid case, renewals, address1-888-692-6116
- MedicareTTY 1-877-486-2048. 24 hours a day1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
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.
Default enrollment letter tip for Riverdale
In Riverdale co-ops the mail often passes through a doorman or package room, and a plan envelope can sit for a week before anyone opens it. If your Medicaid managed care plan also runs a Medicare D-SNP, expect the notice at least 60 days before your Medicare start date. It comes from the plan, not from HRA. Find the effective date and the last day to opt out, and confirm both on the letter itself.
One Riverdale-specific check: many residents see a primary care doctor near Johnson Avenue but go to Allen Hospital or a Manhattan specialist for anything serious. Look those names up in the D-SNP’s Medicare directory before the effective date. A NORC social worker can help you make the list but cannot opt you out; that request goes to the plan.
Not sure which letter you have? Read the default enrollment letter decoder or the blog post what to do in the first 7 days.
Common mistakes in Riverdale
- Writing “New York” in the county box because your cardiologist is across the Broadway Bridge. Riverdale is Bronx County on every Medicare and Medicaid form, regardless of where you get care.
- Deciding the D-SNP is “only for the Bronx” and opting out to keep Allen Hospital. Service area and provider network are different things; check the directory before you assume.
- Waiting for a Riverdale counseling office to open. The Bronx HIICAP sites are on East 172nd Street and Metropolitan Avenue, far from the 1 train; a phone appointment is usually faster.
Orientation: places people in Riverdale 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.
- NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital · Broadway at 220th Street, Inwood; across the bridge from Kingsbridge
- Montefiore Medical Center, Moses Campus · East 210th Street, Norwood; nearest large Bronx hospital by bus
- New York Public Library, Riverdale branch · quiet place to read the letter and use a computer
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 Riverdale. 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.
Prefer to talk with a person right now? HIICAP is free at 1-800-701-0501.