The Assisted Living Program (ALP) is New York's Medicaid-funded alternative to nursing home placement, operating inside licensed Adult Homes or Enriched Housing Programs rather than as a separate building type. It serves people who are medically eligible for nursing home care but can safely be served in a less medically intensive, lower-cost setting, covering personal care, room and board, housekeeping, home health aides, nursing, therapy, medical equipment, adult day health care, and RN case management. ALP is regulated under 18 NYCRR Part 494.
The detail behind the program
Families often ask whether Medicaid pays for assisted living on Long Island the way it pays for nursing home care, and the honest answer is: only through this specific program, not through standard private-pay assisted living communities. Because ALP is embedded within the existing Adult Home or Enriched Housing licensing structure rather than being its own facility category, not every Nassau or Suffolk assisted living building offers it; a family needs to specifically identify communities approved to run an ALP. The scope of covered services is broader than what most people picture as assisted living, including nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, medical supplies and equipment, and RN case management, reflecting that ALP is designed for people who would otherwise medically qualify for nursing home placement. This makes it a meaningfully different financial and clinical pathway than paying privately for a market-rate assisted living apartment.
Related questions
- Do I have to enroll in an MLTC plan for home care in Nassau or Suffolk County?
- What is the NHTD Medicaid waiver and could it help my parent stay out of a nursing home?
- My mom is 68 with a low income - does New York's ACA Medicaid expansion cover her nursing home or home care costs?
- How much money can my spouse keep if I go on Medicaid for nursing home care in New York in 2026?
- How much spending money is a Medicaid nursing home resident allowed to keep each month in New York?
- What is the MLTC special income standard for Long Island and why does it matter for Medicaid home care?
