- County on forms
- Kings County (Brooklyn)
- Medicaid run by
- NYC HRA, citywide
- ZIP codes (approx.)
- 11209, 11220
ZIP codes are orientation only. Verify yours with USPS.
Who this page helps
Bay Ridge has an unusually high share of residents over 65, living in the prewar buildings and co-ops along Shore Road and Ridge Boulevard and in the one- and two-family houses between Third Avenue and the Belt Parkway. Many have added Medicaid to Medicare over the years on fixed incomes; others have been in a Medicaid managed care plan and are just reaching Medicare age, which is when the plan’s “default enrollment” letter arrives.
This page is for those residents and for the adult children, parish volunteers, and aides who help with the mail. It explains what the letter means, what each choice does, and how to reach a free counselor. It does not decide anything about coverage and it does not enroll anyone.
What “local” means for Medicare and Medicaid in Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge is in Kings County, its Medicaid is administered citywide by the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), and the county on any form is “Kings,” even though the neighborhood faces the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Staten Island. ZIP 11209 covers nearly all of Bay Ridge; 11220 begins around 65th Street and is shared with Sunset Park (both approximate; verify with USPS).
Every New York City integrated dual plan on the state’s 2026 IB-Dual chart lists Kings County. Bay Ridge has no hospital inside its borders; the nearest large one is NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn on 55th Street in Sunset Park, and many residents see doctors on Third and Fifth Avenues or across the bridge. Each is a name to verify in a D-SNP’s Medicare directory.
The R train, from Bay Ridge–95th Street through 86th and 77th Streets, runs directly to Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center, which makes the downtown Brooklyn HIICAP site the practical in-person option.
Bay Ridge has large Arabic-, Chinese-, Spanish-, and Greek-speaking communities alongside older residents of Irish, Italian, and Norwegian heritage; interpreters are available on every number listed here when you ask.
How to get free help from Bay Ridge
- Call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501 and say “Kings” when the recording asks for your county. Ask the counselor to check whether your primary care doctor, the hospital on 55th Street if you use it, and your pharmacy are in the D-SNP’s network.
- For in-person help, take the R train to Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center for RAICES/Times Plaza Senior Center, 460 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn 11201, 718-694-0895, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., by appointment. Book through NYC Aging Connect at 212-244-6469 and ask for HIICAP.
- For the opt-out or the Medicaid plan side, call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-800-505-5678 (TTY 1-888-329-1541). If someone at home receives Medicaid home care, ask whether the notice is the long-term-services version and call the long-term care line at 1-888-401-6582.
- Medicaid renewals, coverage gaps, and address changes are HRA matters: the HRA Medicaid Helpline is 1-888-692-6116. For help finding long-term supports, 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 Brooklyn
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 “Brooklyn.”
- 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 Bay Ridge
Bay Ridge has many residents who spend part of the winter away, and the default enrollment letter does not wait. Your Medicaid plan sends it at least 60 days before your Medicare start date, and the opt-out window generally closes the day before the D-SNP takes effect (confirm on your letter). If you will be away, have someone open plan mail and call HIICAP with you on the line.
To opt out, a Bay Ridge resident calls or writes the plan named on the letter; New York Medicaid Choice can make the connection if the plan line is hard to reach. For most people it also ends the Medicaid managed care plan, with Medicaid continuing as fee-for-service. Staying means IB-Dual if you do not need more than 120 days of community long-term services, or a MAP plan if you do.
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 Bay Ridge
- Assuming a specialist across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is out of reach for a Brooklyn plan. Where you live (Kings County) sets the service area; where you can go is the plan’s provider network, a separate list to check.
- Reading the 11220 ZIP on a north Bay Ridge address as a sign of a different Medicaid office or plan area. It is shared with Sunset Park; HRA and the county name are the same either way.
- Letting the building’s management office or a neighbor who “used to work in insurance” decide. Only you, your plan, New York Medicaid Choice, and Medicare can act on the letter; HIICAP is free and unaffiliated.
Orientation: places people in Bay Ridge 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.
- NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn · 55th Street, Sunset Park; nearest large hospital
- Bay Ridge–95th Street station · R train straight to Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center for in-person counseling
- Brooklyn Public Library, Bay Ridge branch · free internet for Medicare.gov plan comparisons
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 Bay Ridge. 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.