Longer reads
Help at home, one step at a time.
October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
MLTC plan says you no longer meet Minimum Needs? What the disenrollment letter means in New York
In short: if a reassessment finds that an MLTC member without Plan Legacy no longer meets New York's Minimum Needs Requirement, the plan must start an involuntary disenrollment. The member…
Read the postOctober 5, 2026 · 3 min read
Not a U.S. citizen and need Medicaid home care or nursing home care in New York? What the October 2026 change means
In short: on October 1, 2026, federal Medicaid money stopped for many lawfully present non-citizens. New York's notice says this does not mean they lose health coverage. People who need…
September 28, 2026 · 6 min read
NY Connects: how to get long-term care help in New York
NY Connects is New York's free No Wrong Door for long-term services and supports. Call 1-800-342-9871 and name your county.
September 28, 2026 · 6 min read
Is there a Medicaid look-back for home care in New York? The 2026 status
In short: New York passed a law in 2020 to add a 30-month look-back for Medicaid community-based long-term care (home care and similar services). It needs federal approval, and the state's…
September 28, 2026 · 4 min read
Spousal impoverishment in New York: keeping money when a spouse needs Medicaid home care
In short: when one spouse needs Medicaid long-term care and the other stays at home, New York's spousal impoverishment rules let the at-home spouse (the "community spouse") keep some income…
September 28, 2026 · 4 min read
How to switch MLTC plans in New York: the 90-day window, lock-in, and good cause
In short: if you are 21 or older with Medicare and Medicaid and in a partial-capitation MLTC plan, you can switch to another MLTC plan for any reason in the first 90 days. After that, you…
September 27, 2026 · 4 min read
NYIA phone number: 1-855-222-8350, hours, and what to do if delayed
In short: to schedule the Medicaid home care assessment in New York, call the New York Independent Assessor (NYIA) helpline at 1-855-222-8350. You need active Medicaid first. The state says…
September 27, 2026 · 7 min read
New York Medicaid home care forms: DOH-4220, 5178A, 4359, 5779, 5786, 5821
In short: most people getting Medicaid home care in New York touch a handful of state forms. DOH-4220 is the Medicaid application. DOH-5178A is its supplement for people 65+ or disabled.…
September 11, 2026 · 10 min read
Minimum Needs Requirements for NY Medicaid home care, explained
In short: since September 1, 2025, New York applies a test called the Minimum Needs Requirements before a new applicant can get Medicaid personal care, consumer directed personal assistance,…
September 11, 2026 · 11 min read
Where Medicaid home care starts: NYC HRA vs your county DSS
In short: Medicaid home care in New York begins with a Medicaid case, and where you open that case depends on where you live and how old you are. In the five boroughs,…
September 11, 2026 · 9 min read
How to connect with your Social Care Network in New York
In short: every New York Medicaid member has a regional Social Care Network (SCN), and there are three ways to reach it. Fill out the state's screening site at screening.shinny.org,…
September 11, 2026 · 12 min read
Leaving a New York hospital or rehab: how to get help at home
In short: the hospital must give you a written discharge plan, and it cannot send someone home who needs continuing care until that care is "secured or determine…
September 11, 2026 · 9 min read
EISEP: non-Medicaid in-home help for New Yorkers 60 and older
In short: the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) is New York's state-funded way to get a case manager and some hours of in-home help for people 60 and older who are not on Medicaid.
September 10, 2026 · 6 min read
What are Social Care Networks (SCN)? HRSN screening for Medicaid members
Families arranging home care often discover that the bigger problem is not the aide. It is the apartment with no working elevator, the empty refrigerator between deliveries,…
September 10, 2026 · 7 min read
MLTC vs EISEP: paths to home care in New York
Most families who start looking for help at home in New York are told about one program, usually by whoever they happened to talk to first. A hospital discharge…
September 10, 2026 · 7 min read
NYIA assessment prep checklist: what to bring and what assessors ask
The New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIA) is the front door to Medicaid personal care, consumer directed personal assistance, and Managed Long Term Care enrollment for adults in New York.
September 10, 2026 · 7 min read
MLTC enrollment steps after your eligibility letter
The letter from the New York Independent Assessor Program is not the end of the process. It is the hinge. Before it, the question was whether the person meets the requirements to request services. After it,…
Next step
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A few short questions and a way to reach you. It is held by this site only, never sent to any plan or agency, and does not decide eligibility or hours.
You can also call NY Connects free at 1-800-342-9871 or HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501. Free, any age, on Medicaid or not. They do not sell services.
Guided help, free
Want help sorting out your next steps?
A few questions about Medicaid status, age, and where you are in the process. You get a plain-language summary of which path you described. Held by this site only, never sent to any plan or agency.
You can also call NY Connects, New York’s free line for long-term services and supports: 1-800-342-9871. Free, any age, on Medicaid or not. They do not sell services. Relay 7-1-1 HIICAP: 1-800-701-0501.