Medicaid home care eligibility in New York

Under New York’s Minimum Needs Requirements, people newly seeking PCS, CDPAS, or MLTC enrollment must be assessed as needing at least limited hands-on help with more than two activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, or moving around.

For people with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the requirement is needing at least supervision with more than one activity of daily living. The state applied these rules to new requests starting September 1, 2025.

New York uses the New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIAP) to assess people requesting these services. An independent nurse assesses daily needs, and a separate clinician reviews the person’s medical condition and confirms the need for services.

Before the assessment, write down which daily tasks the person needs help with, how often, and what kind of help: reminders, standby supervision, or hands-on assistance. Specific examples help the assessor see the real routine.

CDPAP lets an eligible person choose and direct their own aide, who can be a relative or friend in many cases, instead of having an agency assign one. In 2025 New York moved CDPAP to a single statewide fiscal intermediary that handles aide payroll. Check the state’s CDPAP page for current enrollment steps.

Medicaid’s income and asset limits change each year, and some income and assets are not counted. Rather than rely on figures you find online, ask the county Medicaid office or a NY Connects counselor for the current rules.

In Erie County, NY Connects is available at (716) 858-8526. People 60 and older who do not qualify for Medicaid may be able to get in-home help through EISEP, which charges on a sliding scale based on income.