To protect your privacy, we will always ask you to provide three pieces of information to identify yourself. You can use any three of the following:

• CHOICE EasyCare ID Number
• First and Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Full Address
• Phone Number
• Medicare ID Number 

You may appoint a relative, friend, attorney, or anyone else whom you trust to act on your behalf. A representative who is appointed by the court or who is active in accordance with State law may also file an appeal or grievance for you. To appoint a representative you must complete an Appointment of Representative Form.

To protect your privacy, we need your permission before we allow anyone else access to your private information. There are three ways that you can authorize a family member or friend to serve as your representative with access to information about your care and services with VNSNY CHOICE.

1. Call us at 1-866-783-1444 (TTY for the hearing impaired: 711) with your authorized representative and give verbal authorization. Your authorization will be valid for 14 days from the date of the call. For your protection, we do not allow others to see your information without your permission.
2. If you want someone to see all your information, you can download this Authorization for Release of Health Information Pursuant to HIPAA (English, Spanish, Chinese). Then, fill out the form and send it back to us for processing. Or call us and we will mail you a form to fill out and return.
3. If you want to allow someone to see just some of your information, write a letter saying that you give your permission to that person to speak on your behalf. Tell us their name, their relationship to you, and the sort of information you are allowing them to see. Send this letter to us for processing at this address:
   VNSNY CHOICE EasyCare 
   220 East 42nd Street, 3rd Floor
   New York, NY 10017

If your home address or other contact information changes, please call us. You will also need to notify your local department of social services of your new contact information. To find the number for your local office, go to this webpage: https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/ldss.htm.

If your new address is within the CHOICE EasyCare service area, your coverage will not be affected. Our service area covers the following counties:

• The Bronx
• Kings (Brooklyn)
• Nassau
• New York (Manhattan)
• Queens
• Richmond (Staten Island)
• Suffolk
• Westchester

If you move outside of this service area, you may no longer be eligible for our plan, in which case you would be disenrolled.

Use our online Provider Search tool. Or you can find a list of providers in the CHOICE EasyCare Provider & Pharmacy Directory. If you need help identifying a provider who meets your needs, you can also contact your CHOICE EasyCare Care Team.

You should use your EasyCare Member ID card to show your provider. You do not need to show your red, white, and blue Medicare card. If you have Medicaid, show your Medicaid card so that you aren’t billed. Be sure to take both your CHOICE Member ID and your Medicaid card with you whenever you see a provider.

Call us. If you have already chosen a new doctor, give our representative the doctor’s name. Once they confirm that the doctor is in our network, we’ll send you a new ID card.

If you have not chosen a new doctor, you can find one using our Provider Search tool, or call us and we will help you find one in our network.

If you have any questions or concerns about getting authorizations for medical services, please contact your Care Team at 1-866-783-1444 (TTY: 711) and we can help you.

Contact us. Please have the bill with you when you call, as we will ask for specific information found on the bill. We will work with you and your doctor to clarify the bill and determine whether you may be responsible for any charges.

From time to time, you may receive in the mail something from us called an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). This a report for your records about the medical services and prescription medications your plan has paid for you. The EOB will also note whether you paid out of your own pocket or whether you owe anything for any services or medications.

The EOB is not a bill. It is purely for your information to help you understand how your medical costs are being covered during the year.

If you notice any inaccuracies, or if you have other questions about your EOB, please talk to your Care Team.

Call your Care Team. We can also tell you which items are covered or which stores take the card. In addition, you can find answers to most of your questions on the CHOICE EasyCare OTC Card page.

No, you don’t, but you do need to activate the card. Follow the instructions on the information you received with the card, or if you need help, call your Care Team.

If you have limited income and resources that don’t automatically qualify you for LIS (also known as Extra Help), you will need to apply for this subsidy and have your eligibility determined by either the Social Security Administration (SSA) or the New York State Department of Health.

For questions about Extra Help with your prescription drug costs or if you need assistance completing the application:

• Call the Social Security Administration (SSA) at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) 7 days a week, 8 am – 8 pm.
• You can also fill out the application on www.socialsecurity.gov.

To get another copy of the application by mail, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

In addition, if you need help with filling out the application, please contact VNSNY CHOICE EasyCare at 1-866-783-1444. (TTY: 711.)

That’s great! Please tell them to call VNSNY CHOICE EasyCare at 1-718-4CHOICE  (1-718-424-6423). TTY users call: 711.