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Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) for Dual-Eligibles, Explained

Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) is New York's system for Medicare/Medicaid dual-eligibles, mandatory in Nassau and Suffolk since 2013.

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Short answer

New York's dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) long-term-care delivery system is Managed Long Term Care (MLTC), which has two lines of business relevant to seniors: standard MLTC/Medicaid Advantage Plus plans, and PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) for members age 55 and older.

What MLTC coordinates

MLTC plans coordinate long-term services and supports -- home care, adult day care, nursing home care and ancillary/ambulatory services -- for enrollees who need nursing-home-level care but can remain in the community. PACE additionally combines Medicare and Medicaid financing under one plan for members 55 and older.

Is it mandatory here?

Yes. Mandatory MLTC enrollment has applied in Nassau and Suffolk counties since the transition period that began in 2013, for Medicaid recipients aged 21+ who need community-based long-term care for more than 120 days.

MLTC also carries a Long Island-specific detail worth knowing: the “special income standard for housing expenses” available to certain MLTC enrollees is $1,701 for the Long Island region, a different figure than in NYC or upstate regions.

Source: NYSDOH Managed Long Term Care overview

Questions families ask

If my parent is discharged from Huntington Hospital, what senior care options are nearby?

Huntington Hospital is a Northwell Health facility located directly in the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, which this site treats as its hub area for senior care research, covering neighborhoods from Huntington Village and Huntington Station to Cold Spring Harbor, Northport, Dix Hills, and Melville. Discharge planning from Huntington Hospital would coordinate with home care agencies, rehabilitation facilities, and assisted living or nursing communities in this immediate area.

What does Medicare's skilled nursing facility benefit actually require in terms of a prior hospital stay?

Medicare's skilled nursing facility benefit generally requires that the patient first have a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days before Medicare will cover a subsequent skilled nursing facility stay, and only time spent formally admitted as an inpatient counts toward that requirement, not time spent under observation status. This is a critical distinction for Long Island families navigating a hospital discharge, since a stay that looks identical from the patient's bed can be billed either way.

Does NYU Langone have Long Island hospital locations, and what should I know about discharge planning there?

Yes. NYU Langone operates two Long Island hospital campuses: NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island, a 591-bed medical center at 259 First Street in Mineola, formerly Winthrop-University Hospital, renamed in November 2020, home to Nassau County's only adult Level 1 Trauma Center and the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine; and NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk. As with any hospital system, discharge planning is coordinated by staff at the specific campus where a patient is admitted.

My parent just fell and is in the hospital - what's the first call I should make?

For families in Nassau or Suffolk County, the Office for the Aging in your parent's home county is a good first call - Nassau County Office for the Aging at 516-227-8900, or Suffolk County Office for the Aging at 631-853-8200. Both function as the local NY Connects access point, a free service that helps families understand care options, eligibility, and next steps after a hospital event, without any cost or obligation.

My father was just diagnosed with dementia - what should we be planning for on Long Island?

A new dementia diagnosis typically means starting to think about progressively higher levels of support: from in-home caregiving, to a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR)-certified memory care community, to eventually possibly a nursing home. The Nassau (516-227-8900) or Suffolk (631-853-8200) County Office for the Aging can connect families to local resources and benefits counseling as needs evolve, and it's worth confirming any Long Island community marketing memory care actually holds SNALR certification via NYS Health Profiles.

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