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The money is running out

Spend-down, Medicaid waiver waitlists, and why waiting makes this harder.

Quick answer

Spend-down, Medicaid waiver waitlists, and why waiting makes this harder.

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Home›By Situation›The money is running out

This is the situation families delay talking about longest, and delay is the one thing that reliably makes it worse.

Short answer

Spend-down, Medicaid waiver waitlists, and why waiting makes this harder.

What to do, in order

  1. Work out the actual runway. Current balance, monthly burn including care-level charges, and expected increases.
  2. Contact the Area Agency on Aging about waiver waiting lists now. Ask Nassau's (516-227-8900) or Suffolk's (631-853-8200) Office for the Aging about current MLTC, ALP and NHTD waiver capacity -- availability is not guaranteed or immediate.
  3. Find out whether the current community holds a waiver provider agreement. Ask directly, and ask how many current residents actually use it.
  4. Check for benefits already on the table. VA Aid and Attendance is heavily under-claimed; unreimbursed care costs reduce countable income.
  5. Talk to an elder law attorney before moving money. Transfers carry look-back consequences.

Questions families ask

How much spending money is a Medicaid nursing home resident allowed to keep each month in New York?

New York's Nursing Home Resident Personal Needs Allowance is $50 per month - the amount a Medicaid-funded nursing home resident is permitted to keep from their own income for personal expenses, with the rest going toward the cost of their care. According to the NY State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), this figure has been unchanged since the 1980s, and NYSOFA notes that 33 other states currently pay a higher PNA, ranging from $52 to $200.

What is the MLTC special income standard for Long Island and why does it matter for Medicaid home care?

The special income standard for housing expenses, available to certain individuals enrolled in a Managed Long Term Care plan, varies by NYSDOH region - for the Long Island region specifically, it is $1,701.00. This regional figure is higher than most upstate regions (for comparison, the Central New York region's is $426 and the Western region's is $341), reflecting Long Island's higher housing costs, and remains in effect until updated federal poverty levels are published.

How much does assisted living cost in New York State?

According to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of an assisted living community (private one-bedroom) in New York State is $225 per day, or about $7,110 per month and $85,320 per year. This is a statewide median - CareScout's published state-level data tables do not break out a separate Long Island or metro New York figure.

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