An HRA re-budget is when the New York City Human Resources Administration recalculates your Medicaid budget (your income, deductions and any monthly surplus) because something changed or a mistake was made. HRA’s page does not list a form called a “re-budgeting request.” In practice you report the change in writing on the Request to Change Information on File (form MAP-751k, or MAP-751W if you attach documents) and, if you have a surplus, send medical bills with the MAP-931Y cover sheet.
What is an HRA re-budgeting request?
“Re-budget” is the word New York’s own Medicaid guidance uses. In its 2026 updates (GIS 26 MA/03), the Department of Health (DOH) tells county offices that redeterminations effective January 1, 2026 or later “must be re-budgeted” using the new income levels. For a person on Medicaid, a re-budget decides one thing: how much, if any, of your monthly income Medicaid expects you to cover before it pays.
If your income is above the Medicaid level, HRA runs what it calls the Surplus Income Program. For one person, DOH’s 2026 chart lists the monthly income level at $1,836 and the resource level at $33,038. Roughly, the surplus is the income above the level after the deductions that apply to you. Our guide to Medicaid spend-down and the pooled income trust explain the options in more depth.
When should you ask HRA to re-budget?
Report a change as soon as it happens and keep proof. These are the situations we see most often.
| What changed | Why it matters for the budget | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Income went down (pension ended, Social Security reduced, rental income stopped) | A lower income can lower or remove your surplus | MAP-751k or MAP-751W with proof of the new amount |
| Social Security or Medicare Part B changed | For 2026 DOH lists a 2.8% Social Security cost-of-living increase and a $202.90 standard Part B premium. Both are part of budgeting. | This year’s benefit letter and any Part B notice |
| New medical bills | Paid or unpaid medical bills can be used toward a surplus | MAP-931Y cover sheet and the bills |
| Household changed (death, divorce, moving in or out) | Household size changes the income and resource levels | MAP-751k or MAP-751W and the document that shows the change |
| Your notice seems wrong | An error in the figures can create an artificial surplus | A copy of the notice and the documents that show the right numbers |
One reason to check your budget this year: DOH’s January 2026 notice says the automatic cost-of-living update to Medicaid budgets, called Phase 1 of Mass Re-Budgeting, had not been run, and that districts would be told of further updates. Ask HRA whether your 2026 Social Security amount and Part B premium are in your budget.
How do I file the request?
These steps use only the forms and numbers on HRA’s Public Health Insurance page, which we checked on the date below.
- Read your latest notice. Write down the case number, what changed and the surplus HRA says you owe.
- Complete the Consumer/Provider Request to Change Information on File (MAP-751k). HRA offers it in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Korean, Bengali, Urdu, Polish, French, Italian, Yiddish and Albanian.
- Use the MAP-751W if the change needs documents. HRA directs clients with case changes that require additional documentation to this form, which can be faxed to 917-639-0837 together with the documents.
- For medical bills toward a surplus, use the MAP-931Y Surplus Fax Medical Bills Cover Sheet and fax everything requested to the Medical Assistance Program Centralized Surplus Unit.
- Keep dated copies of every page you send, and note the date and the method.
- Follow up through the HRA Helpline (below) if you do not hear back.
HRA’s page does not publish a standard processing time. Treat any exact number of days you read elsewhere as unverified.
How do I meet a Medicaid surplus: pay it in or submit bills?
HRA describes two routes, and some people use both over time.
| Route | How it works | Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the surplus | You pay the amount HRA says is your surplus. Someone else may pay for you, but a non-legally responsible third party must first submit an HRA form. | MAP-3107a (Attestation of Use of Recipient Funds) is listed on HRA’s page |
| Submit medical bills | Paid or unpaid medical bills are sent to HRA to cover your surplus. | MAP-931Y cover sheet |
| Pooled trust (65 and older) | HRA says people aged 65 or older who take part in a pooled trust need a disability determination. | MAP-3177 |
What if HRA gets the budget wrong or closes my case?
Do not wait. DOH’s model Medicaid notice (form OHIP-0075) explains your options. You can ask for a conference as soon as possible, and if HRA finds it made the wrong decision it will take corrective action and send a new notice. A conference does not replace a fair hearing, and you remain entitled to one.
The same notice says you must ask for a fair hearing within 60 days of the date of the notice, by phone at 800-342-3334 or in writing. If you want your benefits to continue unchanged until the decision, you must request the hearing before the effective date stated in the notice. The notice warns that if you lose, the state may recover the cost of benefits you should not have received. Call the HRA Helpline at 888-692-6116 for questions about your case.
If care hours stopped or were cut because of a Medicaid problem, our guide to Medicaid home care coverage explains how hours are set. For a break in coverage that affects costs, see the cost of home care.
HRA’s page notes that the Medicare Savings Program, which is run through Medicaid, helps people with limited income pay Medicare premiums, and that there is no resource test for it.
Other benefits older New Yorkers often miss: nurse director’s note
Anna Klyauzova, RN, MSN, MPA, Director of Patient Services at ProLife Home Care, on what she sees in practice:
Families often haven’t heard of the Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help with prescription costs, SNAP, or HEAP for heating bills. Many never check Medicaid or home care eligibility because they assume their income is too high.
If you don’t know what you qualify for, start with what is on the table: insurance, income, benefits already received and the person’s care needs. You don’t have to fill out a dozen applications this week. First find out which programs fit. NYC Aging, NY Connects and Medicaid specialists are good places to ask, and hospital Medical Social Services can help in tricky situations. We help families understand their home care options in Brooklyn and Queens and send them to the right specialist for the rest, so nobody has to sort it out alone.
Talk to a licensed home care agency
ProLife Home Care is a licensed agency in Brooklyn and Queens (NY DOH license #2572L001). We are not a Medicaid or HRA office, but we can explain care options while you sort out the paperwork. Call (718) 232-2777 or use our contact page.
Checked on 9 October 2026 against the HRA Public Health Insurance page, DOH GIS 26 MA/03 and 26 MA/05 and DOH’s model Medicaid notice (OHIP-0075, 2014). The DOH website blocks automated access, so those PDFs were read from the state’s mirror host. Forms and phone numbers change; confirm them with HRA before you file. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is an HRA re-budgeting request?
It is a request that HRA recalculate your Medicaid budget after your income, expenses or household change, or after an error. HRA’s page does not give it a form of its own; you use the Request to Change Information on File and the surplus bill cover sheet.
Which form do I use to ask HRA to change my Medicaid information?
Use the Consumer/Provider Request to Change Information on File (MAP-751k). If you need to attach documents, HRA points clients to the MAP-751W, which can be faxed to 917-639-0837.
How do I use medical bills to meet my surplus?
Send paid or unpaid medical bills to HRA with the MAP-931Y Surplus Fax Medical Bills Cover Sheet, addressed to the Medical Assistance Program Centralized Surplus Unit.
Can a family member pay my Medicaid surplus for me?
HRA’s page says a non-legally responsible third party who will pay your surplus must complete and submit an HRA form before the first payment. It also lists an Attestation of Use of Recipient Funds (MAP-3107a).
How long does HRA take to re-budget?
HRA does not publish a processing time on the page we checked. Keep dated copies, call the Helpline at 888-692-6116 if you do not hear back and ask for the status.
What can I do if HRA closes my case or sets the wrong surplus?
Ask for a conference, and request a state fair hearing within 60 days of the notice date at 800-342-3334. To keep benefits unchanged during the hearing, request it before the effective date on the notice.
