Yes — New York Medicaid is the primary way most families in New York pay for a long nursing-home stay. Medicare only covers short, skilled rehabilitation stays, and private long-term-care insurance is uncommon, so when a stay becomes long-term, Medicaid is usually where families turn. But New York Medicaid is means-tested, and the rules blend federal law with New York-specific details. This is the map, not legal advice — confirm every current figure with the New York State Department of Health and your local Department of Social Services.
Does New York Medicaid cover nursing-home care?
New York Medicaid covers medically necessary nursing-facility care for people who meet both a financial test and a functional (level-of-care) test — meaning the person genuinely needs the level of help a nursing home provides. A separate nurse assessment usually confirms that need. Once approved, the resident contributes most of their monthly income toward the cost (the "patient pay amount" or "share of cost"), and Medicaid covers the rest at facilities that accept it.
Income and asset limits in New York (2026)
New York does not use the $2,000 asset limit that applies in most states — its figures are far more generous, and families who assume the national rule often conclude they cannot qualify when in fact they can.
- Asset limit: $33,038 for a single applicant in 2026.
- Income limit: $1,836 per month for a single applicant — lower than in most states, which is why the spend-down route below matters so much here.
- Exempt assets sit outside the count: the primary home within the state equity limit, one vehicle, household goods and personal belongings, and certain prepaid burial arrangements.
- Personal Needs Allowance: $50 per month — the amount the resident keeps once income goes toward the cost of care.
If income exceeds $1,836, New York does not require a Qualified Income Trust the way Texas and Florida do. Instead the Excess Income Program — New York's spend-down — lets an applicant qualify by documenting medical expenses above the limit. A pooled income trust is the other common route for sheltering excess income. Which one fits depends on the numbers, and getting it wrong costs months.
For a married couple, the community spouse keeps 50% of the couple's assets up to $162,660, and never less than $74,820, plus a Community Spouse Monthly Income Allowance of up to $4,066.50. These figures reset annually — confirm them with your local Department of Social Services, which processes the application alongside the New York State Department of Health.
The five-year look-back
When you apply, Medicaid reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months beforehand. Gifting money or property — or selling it for less than fair value — to qualify faster can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay. This is the single most common and most expensive mistake families make. Before moving, retitling, or gifting anything, it is worth a conversation with an elder-law attorney or an accredited Medicaid planner, especially for larger estates.
Protecting a spouse
If one spouse needs care and the other stays at home, federal spousal-impoverishment rules protect the at-home spouse. The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) lets them keep a protected share of the couple’s combined assets, and the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) can shift income to them if theirs is low. No one should have to "go broke" to get a spouse the care they need — these protections exist precisely to prevent that.
Sorting out eligibility is a job for a caseworker or elder-law attorney — but finding a quality facility that accepts Medicaid while that’s underway is where we can help; See how Curalune Care Help works
Estate recovery
After a Medicaid recipient dies, states are required to seek repayment from the estate for long-term-care costs paid — the New York Medicaid Estate Recovery Program. In practice this most often affects the home. There are exceptions and hardship waivers (for a surviving spouse, a disabled child, or a caregiver child who lived in the home), so this is another area to raise with the New York State Department of Health and your local Department of Social Services or an attorney rather than assume the worst.
Staying home instead: Managed Long Term Care (MLTC)
Nursing-home Medicaid is not the only option. New York also offers home- and community-based services through Managed Long Term Care (MLTC), which can fund in-home aides, adult day care and assisted-living support for people who qualify for a nursing-home level of care but want to stay in the community. Waiver slots can be limited, so it is worth asking about waitlists early.
Ready-to-send message
Hello,
we’re starting a New York Medicaid long-term-care application for a parent entering a nursing home in New York.
Want a clear shortlist before you start calling?
If you don't know which nursing homes to contact first, Curalune Care Help can prepare an ordered shortlist of 3 to 5 suitable options — with contacts, useful links and a ready-to-send message you can put to all of them at once.
The service helps you organise the search. $89, one-off. If you don't receive at least 3 homes matching the area and criteria you gave us, we refund you in full. It does not replace the home's own assessment and does not guarantee admission, price or bed availability.
Important limit
Curalune offers practical help with the search and orientation. Admission, pricing, bed availability and the final assessment always rest with the nursing homes and the competent authorities (your state Medicaid agency, the state survey agency and Medicare).