- County on forms
- New York County (Manhattan)
- Medicaid run by
- NYC HRA, citywide
- ZIP codes (approx.)
- 10032, 10033, 10040
ZIP codes are orientation only. Verify yours with USPS.
Who this page helps
Washington Heights, from roughly 155th Street north to Dyckman Street, is one of the largest predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhoods in the country, with many older adults who have had Medicaid managed care for years. As they reach Medicare age, a letter arrives from their Medicaid plan about its Medicare D-SNP. Others are caring for a parent in a walk-up on St. Nicholas Avenue.
This page is for those residents and for the sons, daughters, grandchildren, and home attendants who read the mail with them. It explains what a default enrollment letter means, what a D-SNP is, and how IB-Dual and Medicaid Advantage Plus fit, then gives the free numbers. It does not recommend a plan and is not from the government.
What “local” means for Medicare and Medicaid in Washington Heights
For Medicare and Medicaid records Washington Heights is in New York County; Medicaid is administered citywide by the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), not a county office. The neighborhood’s ZIPs are 10032 (the 160s and 170s around the medical center), 10033 (the 180s), and 10040 (north of 190th Street toward Inwood). They are approximate. When a form asks for your county, write “New York.”
Every New York City integrated dual plan on the state’s 2026 IB-Dual chart lists New York County, so the plan on a Washington Heights letter covers the neighborhood. What you need to check is the Medicare network. NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia on West 168th Street anchors the neighborhood, with a campus of outpatient clinics around it, and NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital sits just north in Inwood. Whether a specific clinic is in a specific D-SNP changes every January.
The A train along Fort Washington Avenue and the 1 train along Broadway run the length of the neighborhood, and either reaches the NYC Aging HIICAP office near City Hall without a transfer.
Washington Heights is predominantly Spanish-speaking, with a large Dominican community, and some blocks have many Russian-speaking older adults; ask for an interpreter on any of these lines and you will get one.
How to get free help from Washington Heights
- Call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501, say “New York” when asked for your county, and ask for a Spanish-speaking counselor or interpreter if that is easier. Have the letter, your Medicare start date, and your medication list in front of you.
- For an in-person appointment, the NYC Aging HIICAP Unit is at 2 Lafayette Street, New York 10007, 212-244-6469 (ask for HIICAP), Monday–Friday 9–4, by appointment; take the A or the 1 to Chambers Street. There is no HIICAP community site in Washington Heights on the citywide listing.
- To opt out, call or write your Medicaid plan; New York Medicaid Choice at 1-800-505-5678 (TTY 1-888-329-1541) can connect you and explain what your Medicaid looks like afterward. If your parent already receives home care hours, ask about Medicaid Advantage Plus on the long-term care line, 1-888-401-6582.
- Medicaid case problems such as a renewal notice or a coverage gap go to the HRA Medicaid Helpline at 1-888-692-6116. For help finding home care, transportation, or other 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 Manhattan
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 “Manhattan.”
- 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 Washington Heights
Many Washington Heights households have several generations in one apartment, and plan mail for a parent gets opened by whoever is home. If the parent’s Medicaid plan also runs a D-SNP, expect the notice at least 60 days before their Medicare start date. Find the effective date and the plan name, then confirm the opt-out deadline, generally the day before that date.
The local check is the Columbia medical campus around 168th Street. Many residents have a doctor in one of those buildings, and each practice is either in a given D-SNP’s Medicare network or not, whatever it did with the same company’s Medicaid plan. Confirm the doctors and the pharmacy on Broadway or St. Nicholas Avenue before the effective date.
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 Washington Heights
- Putting “Manhattan” on the county line because the neighborhood feels so far from lower Manhattan. Every Washington Heights address is in New York County.
- Letting a bilingual relative decide to opt out over the phone without asking what happens to the Medicaid plan. Opting out generally means being disenrolled to Medicaid fee-for-service, which affects the parent’s Medicaid, not just Medicare.
- Assuming a clinic that “takes Medicaid” on West 168th Street takes every D-SNP. Medicaid and Medicare networks from the same company are separate lists.
Orientation: places people in Washington Heights 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 / Columbia · West 168th Street; hospital at the center of the neighborhood
- NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital · Broadway at 220th Street in Inwood, north of the neighborhood
- New York Public Library, Washington Heights branch · St. Nicholas Avenue at 160th Street; computers for 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 Washington Heights. 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.