It has to be your Medicaid plan
Many of these companies also sell Medicare and marketplace plans. Only their Medicaid managed care plans include this food benefit.
Health plans · Medicaid food benefit
Which Medicaid plans qualify for free meals and food boxes?
If you are in a New York Medicaid managed care plan such as Fidelis Care, Healthfirst or MetroPlusHealth, you may be able to get cooked meals or a weekly box of groceries (a food prescription box) delivered at no cost to you. The benefit comes through New York’s Social Care Network, and MBD Care delivers it in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
No referral from your plan is needed. No bill, no co-pay and no application fee.
The plans
New York Medicaid managed care plans
Members of these plans can qualify, as long as they meet the other requirements.
- Fidelis CarePlan’s Social Care Network page ↗
- HealthfirstPlan’s Medicaid page ↗
- MetroPlusHealthPlan’s Social Care Network page ↗
- EmblemHealth (HIP)Plan’s Social Care Network page ↗
- UnitedHealthcare Community PlanPlan’s Medicaid page ↗
- Anthem HealthPlus (formerly Empire)Plan’s Social Care Network page ↗
- Molina HealthcarePlan’s Social Care Network page ↗
- Any other New York Medicaid managed care plan
Official information for all plans: New York State Department of Health — Social Care Networks for Medicaid members.
Plan names are listed so members can tell whether this applies to them. MBD Care is not affiliated with or endorsed by these health plans; the food benefit is arranged through the Social Care Network.
Good to know
Having the right plan is the first step
Your plan tells us you have Medicaid managed care. A few other things decide whether food can be delivered to you.
Where you live
We deliver in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. In the Bronx, we help connect you with services through SOMOS.
A health need
Such as diabetes, heart or kidney disease, pregnancy, or a child at nutritional risk. Other conditions can qualify with a doctor’s attestation, and we provide the paperwork.
On Medicaid but no health plan yet?
That is called Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS). For many people it is only a starting point. Food and the other supports on this site are for members of a Medicaid health plan. Most people with New York Medicaid must join one, and it is free. If you get a letter asking you to choose and you don’t, a plan will be chosen for you, so it is better to choose yourself.
- Call to choose a plan. New York Medicaid Choice: 1-800-505-5678. Is your Medicaid case with NY State of Health? Call 1-855-355-5777 or use your online account.
- Wait for your plan to start. It usually starts on the 1st of a month, a few weeks after you choose. Until then, use your state card, and keep it after your plan starts too: you need it at the pharmacy.
- Call us when it starts. 718-737-2252. We will screen you and check what you can get.
Any regular Medicaid health plan works, including HARP, and MBD Care does not choose a plan for you. Have Medicare, other full health insurance, emergency-only Medicaid, or a spenddown (you pay part of your medical bills each month)? The rules are different, so call us and we will check.
Step-by-step guide →What you can get
Cooked meals or a weekly grocery box, planned for your health
The food is the same whichever plan you have. A registered dietitian assesses your needs and recommends what fits, and you can tell us what you prefer.
Food prescription box
A weekly box of groceries with the ingredients for 21 balanced meals per enrolled member — breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven days — covering all six food groups.
See what’s inside a box →Medically tailored meals
Cooked, ready-to-heat meals built around a diagnosis, such as carbohydrate-controlled meals for diabetes or lower-sodium meals for heart conditions.
See how ready-made meals work →Clinically appropriate meals
Cooked, balanced meals for members who need consistent, healthy food but not a condition-specific plan.
See how ready-made meals work →Halal and kosher food is available for boxes and meals. Delivered in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
How it works
We check your plan for you
2
Quick screening
We confirm your Medicaid, your plan and your address in a short phone call.
3
Assessment
A registered dietitian talks with you about your health and the food that fits it.
4
Delivery
Cooked meals or a weekly grocery box at your door, within a week of your assessment.
Questions
Questions about health plans
Do I need to call my health plan first?
No. You do not need a referral or approval from your plan to contact us. We check your Medicaid coverage and your plan during a short screening, and we arrange everything from there.
Is MBD Care in my plan’s network?
The food benefit is arranged through New York’s Social Care Network, not through each plan’s own network of doctors. MBD Care is contracted with Public Health Solutions, the Social Care Network lead entity for our region, and with SOMOS, so members of any of the plans listed above can be served.
Will this change my plan, my doctors or my other benefits?
No. You keep your plan and your doctors. There is no bill and no co-pay, and the food does not reduce SNAP, WIC or any other benefit you already receive.
I have Medicare too, or a long-term care plan (MLTC or MAP). Do I qualify?
Members of long-term care plans (MLTC and MAP) cannot get food through this program, because their plan can provide meals as a benefit (ask your plan). They may qualify for other supports, such as housing support or transportation, after a screening. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, it depends on how your Medicaid is set up: for some people it is fee-for-service, and some are in a plan that also covers Medicaid. Call us and we will check.
I have Medicaid but no health plan (fee-for-service). Can I get this?
Not while you are on fee-for-service (FFS), but for many people FFS is only a starting point. Most people with New York Medicaid must join a health plan, and if you don't choose one after the state asks you to, one will be chosen for you. To choose your own plan for free, call New York Medicaid Choice at 1-800-505-5678, or NY State of Health at 1-855-355-5777 if your Medicaid case is with NY State of Health. The plan usually starts on the 1st of a month, a few weeks after you choose. Once it starts, call us and we will screen you and check what you can get. Any regular Medicaid health plan works, including HARP. People with Medicare, other full health insurance, emergency-only Medicaid or a spenddown have different rules, so call us and we will check.
What if I switch plans or my Medicaid is up for renewal?
Deliveries can only continue while your Medicaid is active, so renew on time. If your plan changes or your coverage lapses, call us and we will check what needs to be updated.
I don’t know which plan I have. What should I do?
Look at your health plan’s member ID card, which is separate from your New York State Medicaid benefit card. If you cannot find it, call us at 718-737-2252 and we will check for you during the screening.
More questions? See our Medicaid food benefits Q&A or how the Social Care Network works.
Not sure about your plan?
We’ll check it with you
One call is enough to find out whether your plan and your situation qualify.
Or email info@mbd.care · Care managers: how to refer