How much money can my spouse keep if I go on Medicaid for nursing home care in New York in 2026?

For 2026, the community spouse may generally keep the greater of the state minimum Community Spouse Resource Allowance ($74,820) or half of the couple's countable resources, up to the federal maximum of $162,660. The community spouse is also entitled to a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance of $4,066.50 per month from the institutionalized spouse's income. These figures come from NYSDOH's GIS 26 MA/03 guidance, effective January 1, 2026.

How much spending money is a Medicaid nursing home resident allowed to keep each month in New York?

New York's Nursing Home Resident Personal Needs Allowance is $50 per month - the amount a Medicaid-funded nursing home resident is permitted to keep from their own income for personal expenses, with the rest going toward the cost of their care. According to the NY State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), this figure has been unchanged since the 1980s, and NYSOFA notes that 33 other states currently pay a higher PNA, ranging from $52 to $200.

What is the MLTC special income standard for Long Island and why does it matter for Medicaid home care?

The special income standard for housing expenses, available to certain individuals enrolled in a Managed Long Term Care plan, varies by NYSDOH region - for the Long Island region specifically, it is $1,701.00. This regional figure is higher than most upstate regions (for comparison, the Central New York region's is $426 and the Western region's is $341), reflecting Long Island's higher housing costs, and remains in effect until updated federal poverty levels are published.

How much does assisted living cost in New York State?

According to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of an assisted living community (private one-bedroom) in New York State is $225 per day, or about $7,110 per month and $85,320 per year. This is a statewide median - CareScout's published state-level data tables do not break out a separate Long Island or metro New York figure.

In-Home Care | What It Costs and How Your State Licenses It

In-home care covers two different things that families often conflate. Non-medical home care is help with daily activities, companionship and household tasks. Home health is clinical care ordered by a physician and delivered by licensed staff.

Short answer

We list 2 verified in-home care providers across your metro. In-home care covers two different things that families often conflate.

Three things worth knowing first

Non-medical home care is generally private pay. Medicare does not cover it. Get your state's CareScout non-medical caregiver hourly median.
Medicare-covered home health is intermittent and skilled — nursing visits, physical therapy — not a caregiver who stays with your parent.
Once you need more than roughly forty to fifty hours a week, run the math against assisted living.

You can check any facility's record free. NYS Health Profiles (profiles.health.ny.gov) publishes license status and inspection history free. Read the full explanation →

Verified in-home care across the region

We list 2 verified in-home care providers across your metro. The full table with addresses and counties lives in the directory.

Our Lady of Consolation Nursing & Rehabilitation — West Islip
Catholic Health Home Care — Farmingdale

See all 2 in the directory →

In-Home Care in your area

Three things worth knowing first

Verified in-home care across the region

In-Home Care by city

In-Home Care in Huntington

In-Home Care in Hempstead

In-Home Care in Garden City

In-Home Care in Levittown

In-Home Care in Freeport

In-Home Care in Long Beach

In-Home Care in Massapequa

In-Home Care in Great Neck

In-Home Care in Mineola

In-Home Care in Rockville Centre

In-Home Care in Babylon

In-Home Care in Islip

In-Home Care in Bay Shore

In-Home Care in Patchogue

In-Home Care in Smithtown

In-Home Care in Riverhead

In-Home Care in Port Jefferson

In-Home Care in Commack

In-Home Care in Brentwood

In-Home Care in Oyster Bay

In-Home Care in Glen Cove

In-Home Care in Plainview

In-Home Care in Syosset

In-Home Care in Farmingdale

In-Home Care in Wantagh

In-Home Care in Seaford

In-Home Care in Bethpage

In-Home Care in Merrick

In-Home Care in Bellmore

In-Home Care in Oceanside

In-Home Care in Deer Park

In-Home Care in Lindenhurst

In-Home Care in Amityville

In-Home Care in Ronkonkoma

In-Home Care in Selden

In-Home Care in Centereach

In-Home Care in Kings Park

In-Home Care in St. James

In-Home Care in Sayville

In-Home Care in Southampton

In-Home Care in Stony Brook

In-Home Care in New Hyde Park

In-Home Care in Uniondale

In-Home Care in Hauppauge

In-Home Care in West Babylon

In-Home Care in Westbury

In-Home Care in Valley Stream

In-Home Care in Port Washington

In-Home Care in Franklin Square

In-Home Care in Woodmere

Questions families ask

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