The Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan is a Medicare Advantage Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (HMO D-SNP) that offers members the benefits of Original Medicare and more, such as prescription drugs, an OTC Plus card, dental, hearing, vision, transportation, the SilverSneakers® fitness program, 24/7 access to care via phone or video chat, and more. Plus, you don’t need referrals to see in-network specialists. This plan is designed for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
$180/month OTC Plus card for over-the-counter (OTC) items, exercise equipment, and activity trackers. If eligible, you can also use the card for healthy foods, home utilities, and more*
As low as $0 copays for covered prescription medications
18 no-cost, one-way trips per year to in-network doctors for covered services
Comprehensive dental including dentures, extractions, crowns, root canals, and more for $01
Routine vision and hearing exams, $300/year allowance for eyeglasses or contact lenses, and hearing aids for as low as $0
We want to help you get the most out of your Part D prescription drug benefits. To confirm that your drugs are covered and to see which medications fall under each tier, use the Healthfirst prescription drug search tool or view the Life Improvement Plan (HMO D-SNP) formulary. Healthfirst may add drugs to or remove them from its Medicare formulary during the year. We will notify you when we make changes.
Please note that for Tier 1–4 Drugs, you may receive up to a 90-day supply, but for Tier 5 Drugs, you may only receive up to a 30-day supply.
For safety and cost reasons, plans may limit the amount of a prescription drug they cover over a certain period of time. For example, most people who are prescribed heartburn medication take one tablet a day for four weeks. Therefore, a plan may cover only an initial 30-day supply of the heartburn medication. The quantity allowed is listed after the QL symbol in your formulary and may be read as “units per days’ supply.” If your prescription for any of these medications exceeds the maximum quantity listed, you and your doctor will need to request a formulary exception.
Talk to a doctor any time—for a $0 copay. Visit with board-certified doctors through video chat or phone for prescriptions, treatment of non-emergency health issues, and more. Access to virtual dermatologists and mental health services is also available.
Talk to a nurse any time—for a $0 copay. Get wellness advice and help finding a doctor.
Get the care you need when you need it at an urgent care center in our network—no appointment needed. Urgent care centers offer convenient late-night and weekend hours. Visit an in-network urgent care center to get help with non-emergency health issues like earache, upset stomach, and sprains; for wounds that need stitches; and more.
Get access to live classes and workshops taught by instructors trained in senior fitness, hundreds of workout videos in the SilverSneakers On-Demand™ online library, online fitness and nutrition tips, and their mobile app with digital workout programs.
The Healthfirst Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program is an in-depth, one-on-one review of all your medications (prescription drugs, over-the-counter nonprescription drugs, and herbal and nutritional supplements). The goal is to help you get the most from your medications. Services include:
The Life Improvement Plan is a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). It is made only for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
With this plan:
This plan may be right for you if you:
Eligibility depends on your Medicare and Medicaid status. Plan availability may vary by location.
If you've heard the term "full dual eligible," you may wonder what it means.
A person is fully dual eligible when they have both Medicare and full Medicaid. This means the programs work together to help pay for covered healthcare services. Many people have little to no cost for covered care.
How Medicare and Medicaid work together
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older and for some people with disabilities.
Medicaid is a state program that helps people with limited incomes and resources pay for healthcare.
If you qualify for both programs, you are called dual eligible.
Most people who are fully dual eligible:
This can help pay for costs that Medicare does not fully cover, such as copays, coinsurance, and some healthcare services.
Being fully dual eligible may allow you to enroll in a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) like the Life Improvement Plan.
These plans are designed to meet the needs of people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
In most cases:
This helps lower your out-of-pocket costs.
A Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) brings your Medicare and Medicaid benefits together in one Medicare Advantage plan.
This can help:
Why care coordination matters
When Medicare and Medicaid work together, you may have:
For people with ongoing health needs, this support can make managing their healthcare easier.
Not sure if you're fully dual eligible? We can help.
Eligibility is based on:
Next steps
If you think you may qualify, you can:
Understanding your eligibility is the first step to finding the right plan.
*These are special supplemental benefits for members enrolled in a Healthfirst dual-eligible special needs plan. To be eligible, you must have a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disorder, disabling mental health condition, diabetes, lung disorders, obesity, or another eligible condition not listed. Benefit eligibility is not based on your chronic condition alone.
1Dental services must be medically necessary; limitations and exclusions apply.
This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Benefits, premiums, and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year.
The formulary, pharmacy network, and/or provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary.
You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium (unless your Part B premium is paid by Medicaid or another third party).
Coverage is provided by Healthfirst Health Plan, Inc. and/or Healthfirst PHSP, Inc. (together, "Healthfirst"), which offer HMO plans with a Medicare contract and a contract with the NY State Medicaid program. Enrollment in Healthfirst Medicare Plan depends on contract renewal.
Plans contain exclusions and limitations.
No out-of-pocket costs for entry-level hearing aids. Eyewear allowance can only be used at participating retailers.
OTC items are subject to the plan’s list of eligible items and the plan’s participating network of retail, online, and utility providers.
Telemedicine (Teladoc Health) and the Nurse Help Line are not replacements for your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP should always be your first choice for care (both in-person and virtual visits).
SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. © 2026 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
DentaQuest® is contracted with Healthfirst to provide dental benefits to its members.
EyeMed® is contracted with Healthfirst to provide vision benefits to its members.
Modivcare and Medical Answering Services provide the covered transportation services under your plan.
Last update September 23, 2026 @ 1:01 pm
Y0147_MKT27_49 26-5421_M
$175/month with the OTC Plus card for over-the-counter (OTC) items, healthy foods, home utilities, personal emergency response systems (PERS), exercise equipment, activity trackers, and more*
As low as $0 copays for covered prescription medications
18 no-cost, one-way trips per year to in-network doctors for covered services
Comprehensive dental including dentures, extractions, crowns, root canals, and more for $0**
Routine vision and hearing exams, $300/year allowance for eyeglasses or contact lenses, and hearing aids for as low as $0
We want to help you get the most out of your Part D prescription drug benefits. Please refer to the formulary below to see which medications fall under each tier. Healthfirst may add drugs to or remove them from its Medicare formulary during the year. You will receive notice when changes are made.
In 2026, Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan members will pay $0 for Tier 1 preferred generic prescription drugs and have convenient delivery options. Please note that Tier 5 Specialty Drugs are only available for a 30-day supply.
For safety and cost reasons, plans may limit the amount of a prescription drug they cover over a certain period of time. For example, most people who are prescribed heartburn medication take one tablet a day for four weeks. Therefore, a plan may cover only an initial 30-day supply of the heartburn medication. The quantity allowed is listed after the QL symbol in your formulary and may be read as “units per days’ supply.” If your prescription for any of these medications exceeds the maximum quantity listed, you and your doctor will need to request a formulary exception.
Talk to a doctor any time—for a $0 copay. Visit with board-certified doctors through video chat or phone for prescriptions, treatment of non-emergency health issues, and more. Access to dermatologists is also available.
Telemedicine (Teladoc Health) isn’t a replacement for your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP should always be your first choice for care (both in-person and virtual visits).
Talk to a nurse any time—for a $0 copay. Get wellness advice and help finding a doctor.
Telemedicine (Teladoc Health) and the Nurse Help Line are not replacements for your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP should always be your first choice for care (both in-person and virtual visits).
Get the care you need when you need it at an urgent care center in our network – no appointment needed. Urgent care centers offer convenient late-night and weekend hours. Visit an in-network urgent care center to get help with non-emergency health issues like earache, upset stomach, and sprains; for wounds that need stitches; and more.
Get access to live classes and workshops taught by instructors trained in senior fitness, hundreds of workout videos in the SilverSneakers On-Demand™ online library, online fitness and nutrition tips, and their mobile app with digital workout programs.
The Healthfirst Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program is an in-depth, one-on-one review of all your medications (prescription drugs, over-the-counter nonprescription drugs, and herbal and nutritional supplements). The goal is to help you get the most from your medications. Services include:
For individuals eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, our Dual-Eligible Special Needs plans (D-SNPs) are designed to make prescription drugs, healthy foods, and even home utilities more affordable!
Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage Plan that limits membership to people with specific diseases or characteristics. Medicare SNPs tailor their plan benefits, provider choices, and drug formularies to best meet the specific needs of the members they serve.
Our Life Improvement Plan (HMO D-SNP) Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan is designed to help our members live better and healthier lives with prescription drug coverage as low as $0, a quarterly OTC Plus card allowance that can be used to purchase healthy foods, and more.
With the Healthfirst Life Improvement (HMO D-SNP) Medicare Advantage plan, you receive a quarterly OTC Plus card allowance that can be used to pay for over-the-counter (OTC) non-prescription medicines and health-related items, healthy foods, exercise equipment and activity trackers, personal emergency response systems (PERS), or even home utilities such as gas, oil, electric, water, and internet service.
Use your OTC Plus card to save on over-the-counter and health-related items, healthy foods, and more. To buy, you can:
The Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan (HMO D-SNP) Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan offers dental coverage with no annual maximum and includes cleanings, exams, and X-rays, in addition to complex care such as extractions, dentures, crowns, and more.
Dental services must be medically necessary; limitations and exclusions apply.
Taking advantage of your plan benefits can help you save money on healthcare costs. To help lower your overall health insurance costs, you should always:
Pharmacy benefits are different for each Healthfirst health insurance plan. Please check your plan’s formulary for more information on which prescription medicines and other items are covered.
Healthfirst has partnered with CVS Caremark to bring you a personal prescription drug account that will give you 24/7 access to important drug benefit information and tools that will make getting your prescription drugs easier. Click here to create your account or log in.
*Healthy foods and home utilities are special supplemental benefits for members enrolled in a Healthfirst dual-eligible special needs plan. To be eligible, you must have a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disorder, disabling mental health condition, diabetes, lung disorders, obesity, or another eligible condition not listed. Benefit eligibility is not based on your chronic condition alone.
1Dental services must be medically necessary; limitations and exclusions apply.
This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Benefits, premiums, and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year.
The formulary, pharmacy network, and/or provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary.
You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium.
Coverage is provided by Healthfirst Health Plan, Inc. and/or Healthfirst PHSP, Inc. (together, "Healthfirst"), which offer HMO plans with a Medicare contract and a contract with the NY State Medicaid program. Enrollment in Healthfirst Medicare Plan depends on contract renewal.
Plans contain exclusions and limitations.
No out-of-pocket costs for entry-level hearing aids. Eyewear allowance can only be used at participating retailers.
OTC items are subject to the plan’s list of eligible items and the plan’s participating network of retail, online, and utility providers.
Telemedicine (Teladoc Health) and the Nurse Help Line are not replacements for your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP should always be your first choice for care (both in-person and virtual visits).
SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. © 2026 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
DentaQuest® is contracted with Healthfirst to provide dental benefits to its members.
EyeMed® is contracted with Healthfirst to provide vision benefits to its members.
Modivcare and Medical Answering Services provide the covered transportation services under your plan.
Last update September 23, 2026 @ 1:01 pm
Y0147_MKT26_54 5319-25_M
Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm
We can help you enroll by phone, video chat, or in person.
If you receive Medicaid and want to know whether you are eligible for a Managed Long-Term Care Plan, you can call the New York Independent Assessor (NYIA) formerly Conflict-Free Evaluation Enrollment Center (CFEEC) at 1-855-222-8350, TTY at 1-888-329-1541, Monday to Friday, 8:30am–8pm, and Saturday, 10am–6pm, to schedule your initial assessment.