What the invitation code is and why you got one
NY State of Health sometimes opens an account for you before you ever log in. The most common case is a renewal or a transfer: your Medicaid or other coverage moves into the NY State of Health system, and the state needs you to take over the account online. The letter that tells you this carries two things: an account ID and an invitation code.
The state Health Department’s sample renewal notice shows the shape of both. The account ID starts with the letters AC followed by digits. The invitation code is a string of about 20 digits. The notice gives a date by which you must log in, then tells you to sign in with a NY.gov ID and enter the invitation code “to finish setting up your NY State of Health account.”
The code is not a password and you use it once. After the account is linked, you sign in with your NY.gov ID only.
If you created your own NY State of Health account from the start, there is no invitation code to find. When the system asks whether you have one, the answer is no.
How to finish linking your account with the code
- Find the letter. Look for the account ID (starts with AC) and the invitation code. Write both on a separate sheet; letters get thrown out.
- Get a NY.gov ID if you do not have one. Go to my.ny.gov and create a username and password with a personal email address that only you use. Your legal first and last name cannot be changed later, so type them exactly as on your documents.
- Sign in to NY State of Health at nystateofhealth.ny.gov with that NY.gov ID.
- Enter the invitation code when asked. Copy it digit by digit; one wrong digit and the screen rejects it.
- Check the household and the address on the account before anything else. Renewal letters go to the address on file.
- Finish the renewal or the task the letter asked for before the date printed on it.
Why the order matters: the NY.gov ID is the login for many New York State services, and the invitation code only attaches one NY State of Health account to it. Making a second NY.gov ID because you forgot the first one is how people end up with two half-finished accounts.
When the code does not work
| What you see | Most likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The code is rejected | A typo, or the code belongs to another household member’s letter | Retype it from the letter; check the name on the letter |
| You lost the letter | Nothing wrong with the account | Call 1-855-355-5777 and ask to link the account by phone or get a new code |
| You were never asked for a code | You opened the account yourself | Nothing to do; there is no code |
| The account shows someone else’s old address | The account was opened from old records | Update contact information first, then renew |
| The date on the letter has passed | The renewal window in the letter closed | Call right away; ask what still can be done and what coverage ends when |
What to say on the phone:
“I received a NY State of Health letter with an account ID and an invitation code, and I can’t link the account. Can you help me link it now, or send a new invitation code? Please also confirm the address and phone number on file.”
Have the letter, your date of birth and your address in front of you, and write down the date, the time and the name of the person you spoke with.
Recovering a NY.gov ID username or password
The NY.gov ID is a separate system from NY State of Health. Its recovery steps, as the state Labor Department lays them out for the same login:
- Forgot your username: at my.ny.gov choose “Forgot your username,” then enter your first name, last name and the email address on the account. The username is emailed to you.
- Forgot your password: choose “Forgot your password,” enter your username, and reset it by email or by answering your security questions. If you cannot answer the questions, choose email.
- Locked out: resetting the password unlocks the account. You do not need anyone to unlock it for you.
- No longer have that email: this is where self-service ends. New York’s IT agency lists its ITS Service Desk at (844) 891-1786.
Two habits prevent most lockouts. Use an email address you will still have next year, and save the username in the same place as your account ID.
Which number to call for what
| Problem | Who handles it | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation code, account linking, renewal, application status, income changes | NY State of Health | 1-855-355-5777, TTY 1-800-662-1220 |
| NY.gov ID username, password, email on file | NY.gov ID self-service, then the ITS Service Desk | my.ny.gov; (844) 891-1786 |
| ID card, bills, premium payments, doctors in network | Your insurance company | The member services number on your card |
| Sitting down with someone to do it together | A certified enrollment assistor, free | Find Local Help on NY State of Health, or find a navigator |
| A denial or a problem nobody fixes | Community Health Advocates, free | (888) 614-5400, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm |
The state says more than 9,000 enrollment assistors work across New York, in every county and in many languages, helping people check eligibility, compare plans and enroll. Their help is free, and the state’s Find Local Help directory also lists certified brokers. All the NYC health coverage phone numbers.
Keep the account working after you get in
The state Health Department asked every enrollee to do two things before 2027 changes arrive: keep the mailing address, phone and email current, and give NY State of Health consent to check eligibility with trusted data sources, so the system can try to renew you automatically. Both take a few minutes inside the account.
Then read the notices. A renewal letter sent to an old address is the most common way people lose coverage they still qualify for, and it is the same letter that carries the invitation code. Open enrollment for 2027 marketplace plans runs November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027; Medicaid, the Essential Plan and Child Health Plus have no season. How marketplace coverage works · The renewal checklist.
Is a NY State of Health account the same as a Marketplace account on HealthCare.gov?
No. New York runs its own marketplace, NY State of Health, which the state calls its official Health Plan Marketplace. HealthCare.gov serves states that use the federal platform. A New Yorker’s application, notices, tax form and invitation code all live in the NY State of Health account. If you moved to New York from a state that used HealthCare.gov, you start a new application here.
Questions people ask
What is a NY State of Health invitation code?
A long number printed on a NY State of Health letter. It connects an account the state opened for you, often at renewal, to your own NY.gov ID login. You enter it once after signing in.
Where do I find my NY State of Health invitation code?
On the letter that told you an account had been started for you, next to your account ID, which begins with AC. If you lost the letter, call NY State of Health at 1-855-355-5777.
Do I need an invitation code to apply?
No. If you start a new application yourself, you will not have a code, and you skip that step.
How do I reset my NY State of Health password?
NY State of Health uses your NY.gov ID. At my.ny.gov choose “Forgot your password,” enter your username and reset by email or security questions. Resetting the password also unlocks a locked account.
What number do I call for NY State of Health account help?
1-855-355-5777, TTY 1-800-662-1220. For the NY.gov ID login itself, the ITS Service Desk is at (844) 891-1786.
Sources
- NYS Department of Health — sample NY State of Health renewal notice with account ID and invitation code (18 LCM-03, Attachment II) (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Department of Health — Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage (October 28, 2026) (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Department of Labor — NY.gov ID frequently asked questions (username, password, locked account) (checked 2026-11-03)
- NYS Office of Information Technology Services — Get help (ITS Service Desk) (checked 2026-11-03)
- NY Health Access — Essential Plan income limit reduced to 200% FPL (Community Health Advocates contact) (checked 2026-11-03)
More in Health Coverage in New York
- Buying Coverage on NY State of Health: A Walkthrough — How marketplace health insurance works in NYC: one NY State of Health application, tax credits paid in advance, metal levels, and the 2027 enrollment dates.
- Starting a New Job: The 90-Day Rule and the Gap It Leaves — No group plan may make you wait more than 90 calendar days; 'the first of the month after 90 days' is lawful only inside that cap. How to cover the gap.
- Doula Services on Medicaid in New York: A Benefit Almost Nobody Is Offered — Doula services on Medicaid in New York cost nothing: up to eight visits plus birth support, for 12 months after the pregnancy ends. You usually have to ask.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.