Free senior care guidance for Staten Island families. No cost to you, ever.
Call (516) 619-2127
Staten Island Senior Advisor

How Families Pay for Senior Care

Private pay, New York's Managed Long Term Care and ALP programs, VA Aid and Attendance, and long-term care insurance.

HomeCosts & PayingHow Families Pay for Senior Care

How families actually pay for care

New York fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA effective January 1, 2014, for adults 19-64 up to 138% of the federal poverty level, with no asset test. That expansion pathway is completely separate from the asset-tested Long-Term Care Medicaid pathway seniors use -- do not confuse the two.

Managed Long Term Care (MLTC)

MLTC is New York's Medicaid long-term-care delivery system: either PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, for age 55+) or MLTC Partial Capitation / Medicaid Advantage Plus. Generally it requires needing nursing-home-level services for 120+ days and being age 65+ (55+ for PACE). Mandatory MLTC enrollment in New York City -- including Richmond County / Staten Island -- began under Medicaid Redesign Team Initiative #90, approved August 31, 2012. NYC was actually the first region in the state with mandatory MLTC enrollment, predating the later rollout on Long Island.

Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Waiver

NHTD is a Medicaid 1915(c) home- and community-based waiver, administered through NYSDOH Regional Resource Development Centers, for Medicaid-eligible adults 65+ (or younger with a disability) who are assessed as needing nursing-home-level care but want to receive services in the community instead.

Assisted Living Program (ALP)

ALP (18 NYCRR Part 494) is Medicaid-funded and pays for personal care, room and board, home health aides, nursing, therapy and case management inside a qualifying Adult Home or Enriched Housing setting -- for people who are nursing-home-eligible but can be served at lower cost residentially.

VA Aid and Attendance

VA Aid and Attendance is a federal pension benefit, not state-specific -- see our dedicated page for current rates.

Source: NYSDOH Managed Long Term Care

Source: NYSDOH NHTD Waiver

Questions families ask

SIUH or Richmond University Medical Center gave us a discharge date in 3 days. What do we do first?

Ask the case manager or social worker for the discharge plan in writing, and confirm in writing whether your parent was admitted as an inpatient or held under observation status -- that single fact determines whether Medicare's skilled nursing benefit is even available for a rehab stay afterward.

What's the actual difference between "inpatient" and "observation status" after a hospital stay?

Medicare's skilled nursing facility benefit requires a qualifying inpatient hospital admission. Time spent under "observation status" does not count toward that requirement, even if your parent physically slept in a hospital bed for multiple nights -- ask the hospital directly, and in writing, which status applied.

Can I push back on a hospital discharge date if we're not ready?

Generally, yes -- discharge dates are often less fixed than they initially sound, particularly when no safe discharge plan has actually been arranged yet. Hospitals are required to discharge to a genuinely safe setting; raise specific, concrete concerns with the case management or social work team rather than a general request for more time.

Which Staten Island hospitals do most families deal with during a discharge?

The two acute-care hospitals physically on Staten Island are Staten Island University Hospital (Northwell Health, North campus at 475 Seaview Avenue and South campus commonly cited at 375 Seguine Avenue) and Richmond University Medical Center (355 Bard Avenue), which has a clinical affiliation with Mount Sinai Health System for emergency care.

What questions should I ask a hospital discharge planner directly?

Ask for the discharge plan in writing, confirm inpatient-versus-observation status in writing, ask which specific facilities have actually confirmed acceptance (not just received an inquiry), ask whether the discharge date can be adjusted if the plan is not ready, and verify any recommended facility's license before signing anything.

Not sure where to start?

Answer five questions and a local advisor will come back with senior care options in your area that actually fit your situation and budget. It is free, and there is no obligation.

Find care options
Find senior care — free