Prescription costs remain one of the most stubborn barriers to healthcare in New York City. Knowing the right programs can mean the difference between filling a prescription and skipping it. This guide covers the key pathways NYC residents have in 2026 to reduce — or eliminate — out-of-pocket medication costs.
This is general health information, not medical advice. Contact your healthcare provider for medical guidance specific to your situation.
Who This Helps
This guide is for NYC residents who are uninsured or underinsured: undocumented immigrants, people between jobs, gig workers without employer coverage, low-income adults earning slightly too much for Medicaid, seniors, and anyone paying full retail price at the counter. If any of these describe you, there are programs designed for your situation.
Step One: Know What You’re Enrolled In (Or Should Be)
Before exploring discount programs, the most powerful first move is checking whether you qualify for a government health program that covers prescriptions directly. Many New Yorkers who are eligible for these programs are not yet enrolled.
Medicaid and NYRx
If you’re on Medicaid, your prescriptions are covered through NYRx — the New York State Medicaid Pharmacy Program. NYRx covers medically necessary FDA-approved prescription and non-prescription drugs for Medicaid members. You can fill prescriptions at participating pharmacies across the five boroughs, and NYRx allows up to a 90-day supply of most maintenance medications — meaning fewer pharmacy trips for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.
If you’re not sure which pharmacies near you accept NYRx, use the official member search tool at member.emedny.org to search by zip code. For questions about pharmacy coverage, contact NYRx directly at NYRx@health.ny.gov or (518) 486-3209.
NYC Care: Affordable Medications for the Uninsured
If you do not qualify for insurance — or cannot afford it, regardless of immigration status — NYC Care is the city’s program to guarantee healthcare access through NYC Health + Hospitals. As an NYC Care member, you receive low-cost prescription medication and pharmacy access at any NYC Health + Hospitals facility, day or night.
There are three ways to request prescription refills as an NYC Care member:
- Visit the pharmacy at any NYC Health + Hospitals facility and ask them to contact your primary care provider
- Sign up for MyChart and request a refill online
- Call the NYC Care Contact Center: 1-646-NYC-CARE (1-646-692-2273)
Enrollment in NYC Care is open year-round. Learn more and apply at nyccare.nyc/enroll. The program serves New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. For more on how NYC Care works with the NYC Health + Hospitals system, see our guide: How to Enroll in NYC Care.
The 340B Drug Discount Program: What It Is and How New Yorkers Benefit
The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a federal program administered by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) that requires drug manufacturers participating in Medicaid to provide outpatient drugs to certain qualifying healthcare organizations at significantly reduced prices. Those organizations — called covered entities — include federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), NYC Health + Hospitals facilities, and safety-net clinics serving low-income populations.
The key point for patients: you don’t have to do anything special to access 340B pricing. If you receive care at an eligible facility, the discounted drug cost is built into the program. The savings allow these clinics to stretch their resources further and offer more services to more patients.
Which NYC Facilities Are 340B Covered Entities?
Many of the city’s safety-net institutions participate in 340B, including:
- All 11 NYC Health + Hospitals hospitals (Bellevue, Elmhurst, Jacobi, Kings County, Lincoln, Metropolitan, Queens, Sea View, Woodhull, Harlem, and North Central Bronx)
- Gotham Health centers — the 30 neighborhood-based primary care clinics operated by NYC Health + Hospitals across all five boroughs
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) such as Ryan Health, Betances Health, and others operating on a sliding-fee scale
- Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clinics
To find whether a specific clinic is a 340B covered entity, visit hrsa.gov/opa (HRSA’s 340B program page). The HRSA database allows you to search registered covered entities by state and zip code.
340B Contract Pharmacies
Covered entities can also contract with outside pharmacies — such as major chain pharmacies — to dispense 340B medications to eligible patients. In practice, this means a prescription written at a participating clinic may be filled at a contracted pharmacy near you. Ask your clinic’s pharmacy team whether they have contract pharmacy arrangements and which nearby pharmacies participate.
Prescription Home Delivery from NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals Gotham Health launched a pharmacy home delivery program in partnership with ScriptDrop, available at all 29 Gotham Health locations across New York City. If you receive care at a Gotham Health center, you can have your prescription delivered to your home within one business day (Monday through Friday). The program covers most medications except controlled substances and refrigerated medications.
To sign up, contact your care team through MyChart, by phone, or at your next in-person visit. This is a significant benefit for patients with mobility challenges, demanding work schedules, or those who live far from a participating pharmacy.
Find your nearest Gotham Health center at nychealthandhospitals.org/locations.
Free Drug Lookup and Comparison Tools
Even if you don’t qualify for any assistance program, these free tools can dramatically reduce what you pay at the pharmacy counter.
GoodRx
GoodRx is a free prescription discount service that compares prices at pharmacies near you and provides coupons that can reduce the cost of many common generics significantly. No insurance required, no income test, no application — anyone can use it. Simply look up your medication at goodrx.com or use the free mobile app, show the coupon at the pharmacy counter, and pay the discounted rate. Note: GoodRx discounts cannot be combined with insurance — use it when your out-of-pocket cost through insurance would be higher than the GoodRx price.
NeedyMeds
NeedyMeds.org is a nonprofit database that catalogs patient assistance programs (PAPs) run by pharmaceutical manufacturers. These programs provide free or heavily discounted brand-name medications to qualifying individuals. Eligibility typically requires: lack of prescription drug coverage, income at or below a set threshold (often 200–400% of the federal poverty level), and U.S. residency. You apply directly through the manufacturer’s program — NeedyMeds helps you find the right one.
RxAssist
RxAssist.org provides a similar searchable database of manufacturer patient assistance programs, searchable by drug name, manufacturer, or drug class. It also includes state pharmaceutical assistance programs and Medicare information for seniors.
NY Relief Programs and Marketplace Coverage
If you’re uninsured and earning income, you may qualify for subsidized coverage through NY State of Health, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Coverage through the marketplace includes prescription drug benefits, and many plans have low or $0 premiums for qualifying individuals. Open enrollment runs November through January each year, but qualifying life events (job loss, change in income, move) allow you to enroll year-round.
- Enroll online: nystateofhealth.ny.gov
- Get free enrollment help in person: search for a certified navigator at the marketplace site or call 1-855-355-5777
If your income is low enough, you may qualify for the Essential Plan — New York’s low-cost plan for adults who earn too much for Medicaid but can’t afford standard marketplace premiums. The Essential Plan includes prescription drug coverage. Learn more through ACCESS NYC.
For information about all available relief programs including Medicaid, NYC Care, and SNAP, check our overview: NY Relief Programs Open in 2026.
How to Take Action: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here is a clear action path based on your situation:
If you are uninsured:
- Call the NYC Care Contact Center at 1-646-NYC-CARE (1-646-692-2273) to enroll in NYC Care and get connected to an NYC Health + Hospitals primary care provider who can prescribe medications at low cost through the system’s pharmacies.
- Check Medicaid eligibility at ACCESS NYC — many people who qualify have not yet enrolled.
- Check marketplace coverage at nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777.
- Use GoodRx immediately for any prescriptions you currently need to fill — it requires no application.
If you are on Medicaid:
- Confirm your prescriptions are covered under NYRx at member.emedny.org.
- Ask your prescriber if a 90-day supply is appropriate for your maintenance medications — fewer trips, same coverage.
- If a drug requires prior authorization, ask your prescriber to submit electronically through CoverMyMeds to speed approval.
If you are paying out of pocket for a brand-name drug:
- Visit NeedyMeds.org or RxAssist.org and search for patient assistance programs from the manufacturer.
- Ask your doctor’s office if they have samples or know of PAP enrollment support.
- Compare pharmacy prices with GoodRx before every fill — prices vary significantly between pharmacies even in the same neighborhood.
If you receive care at a Gotham Health center:
- Ask your provider about home delivery through ScriptDrop — available at all 29 locations, next-day delivery Monday–Friday.
- Sign up for MyChart at nychealthandhospitals.org to request refills from your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use GoodRx if I have Medicaid or Medicare?
Generally, you cannot use GoodRx in combination with Medicaid or Medicare Part D — federal law prohibits applying both a third-party discount and government benefits to the same prescription claim. However, for medications not covered by your plan or when your out-of-pocket cost under Medicare would be higher than the GoodRx price (and you’re willing to pay cash without submitting to insurance), GoodRx can sometimes be the better option. Ask your pharmacist to run both scenarios before you pay.
Does NYC Care cover prescriptions for undocumented immigrants?
Yes. NYC Care is open to all New York City residents regardless of immigration status, and low-cost prescription medication is a core benefit of membership. Call 1-646-NYC-CARE (1-646-692-2273) to enroll. No immigration-related information is required to join the program.
What is the 340B program and how do I know if my clinic uses it?
The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a federal program that allows eligible safety-net healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at significantly reduced prices. As a patient, you don’t need to do anything to access these savings — if your clinic is a 340B covered entity (which includes all NYC Health + Hospitals sites and many community health centers), the discounted pricing is already built in. You can verify whether a facility is enrolled using the HRSA covered entity database at hrsa.gov/opa.
How do I get a 90-day supply of my medication through Medicaid?
NYRx — New York’s Medicaid pharmacy program — allows up to a 90-day supply of most maintenance medications (drugs taken regularly for chronic conditions). Ask your prescriber to write the prescription for a 90-day supply and confirm with your pharmacist that the medication qualifies. You can search covered drugs through the NYRx member portal at member.emedny.org.
What is a patient assistance program (PAP) and how do I apply?
Patient assistance programs are run by pharmaceutical manufacturers and provide free or deeply discounted brand-name medications to uninsured or underinsured patients who meet income requirements (typically 200–400% of the federal poverty level). Apply through the manufacturer’s own program — use NeedyMeds.org or RxAssist.org to find and navigate to the right program for your specific medication. Some programs require your doctor to complete part of the application.
This is general health information, not medical advice. If you have questions about specific medications, interactions, or your treatment plan, contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist directly. For help connecting with a provider, call 311 or the NYC Care Contact Center at 1-646-NYC-CARE (1-646-692-2273).
