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Medicaid MLTC, Nassau and Suffolk
Medicaid home care on Long Island
Medicaid can pay for a home health aide or personal care aide so an older adult, or an adult with a disability or chronic illness, can stay safely at home. On Long Island, most adults get those hours through a Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plan. Bryan Skilled Home Care Inc., a Licensed Home Care Services Agency in Amityville since 2011, staffs the hours a plan authorizes in Nassau and Suffolk.
Call (631) 608-8523 Mon to Fri, 9 to 5
- Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA)
- Serving Long Island since 2011
- 24-hour on-call for clients
Who qualifies for Medicaid home care, in plain words
Two things have to be true. The person needs the right kind of Medicaid, and the person needs enough help at home to meet the state's rules.
1. The right Medicaid coverage
Medicaid looks at income and, for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled, at savings and other resources too. The limits change every year and are posted on the state's How to Apply for NY Medicaid page. The state notes that a person may own a home and a car and still be eligible, and that some people over the income limit can qualify through the Excess Income ("spenddown") program. Home care needs Medicaid that covers community-based long-term care, not just basic coverage.
2. Enough need for help at home
Since September 1, 2025, New York has applied minimum needs rules to adults asking to join an MLTC plan. According to the Department of Health's MLTC page, the person must be assessed as needing community-based long-term care for more than 120 days, and must need at least limited hands-on help with more than two activities of daily living, or, with a dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis, at least supervision with more than one. Activities of daily living are basics like bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, and transfers.
Questions about trusts, gifting, or protecting a house belong with an elder law attorney. We are a home care agency, not a Medicaid planner.
How Medicaid home care works on Long Island
Every Nassau and Suffolk family goes through the same state steps, in this order. For towns, plans, and FAQs by county, see home care in Nassau County and home care in Suffolk County.
- Get Medicaid in placeFor community-based long-term care, the state says the application generally goes to the county's Medicaid office, not the NY State of Health marketplace, on the Access NY application (DOH-4220) plus Supplement A (DOH-5178A) when required. The general rule is a decision within 45 days, or up to 90 if a disability must be evaluated. NYS Medicaid Helpline: (800) 541-2831.
- Schedule the state assessment (NYIAP)The New York Independent Assessor Program, run for the state by Maximus, does the initial assessment for adults asking to join an MLTC plan. Call 1-855-222-8350 (TTY 1-888-329-1541). A registered nurse completes the Community Health Assessment and a clinician does a clinical appointment, at home or by video.
- Read the outcome letterNYIAP sends a letter with the result. If the person meets the requirements, it says to request enrollment with the MLTC plan of your choice. It also explains your hearing rights if you disagree.
- Choose and join an MLTC planNew York Medicaid Choice helps with MLTC enrollment at 1-888-401-6582. Before you pick, ask whether the plan works with the home care agency you want. See the plans we work with below.
- The plan builds the care planThe plan reviews the assessment and works with you on a person-centered service plan. The plan, not the assessor and not the agency, decides how many hours and how often.
- An agency staffs the hoursThe plan authorizes a home care agency, which matches an aide to the schedule. The state says an assessment can stay valid for up to 12 months; a big change in health or a hospital stay is a reason to ask the plan for a new one.
MLTC, MAP, and PACE: the three kinds of plan
The state's MLTC program has three lines of business. An MLTC Partial Capitation plan is for adults 18 and older with Medicaid, and covers home care and other community-based long-term care. A Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) plan is for adults 18 and older with both Medicaid and Medicare, and combines long-term and medical care. PACE is for people 55 and older who are assessed as needing a nursing home level of care. Details and the plan directory are on the Department of Health MLTC page.
People with a brain injury may be better served by the TBI waiver, and seniors and adults with physical disabilities can read our NHTD waiver guide. Waivers and MLTC are separate paths, and someone generally uses one or the other.
What a home health aide or personal care aide does
A personal care aide (PCA) or home health aide (HHA) follows the plan of care the MLTC plan authorizes. Here is what that usually looks like in a Long Island home:
Moving safely
Transfers, walking around the house, and an eye on fall risks like loose rugs and poor lighting.
Meals and the home
Meals that fit the diet in the care plan, and light housekeeping tied to care. See nutrition management.
Medication reminders
Timely reminders, with nurse oversight, when medication management is part of the plan.
Memory support
A steady routine, cueing, and supervision for people living with dementia. See mind and memory care.
Nurse oversight
Our nurses shape the plan of care and supervise the aide. Aides report changes so problems are caught early.
Our aides complete state-approved home health aide training and do only the tasks the plan of care allows.
MLTC plans we work with
We work with these Medicaid MLTC plans on Long Island: Aetna, Fidelis, Senior Whole Health/Molina, and VNS. Plan participation can change, so call (631) 608-8523 to confirm your plan before you enroll or switch. Not on the list? Call anyway.
We also work with the NHTD and TBI waivers in Nassau and Suffolk, private pay, workers' compensation, and long-term care insurance. Private pay can bridge the time while Medicaid or the plan is still being sorted out.
We do not bill Medicare; see the questions below.
Medicaid home care in Nassau and Suffolk
Suffolk County
Our only office is in Suffolk, at 15 Albany Avenue in Amityville. We serve towns across Suffolk. Care on the East End is based on availability.
Suffolk County home careNassau County
Amityville sits right at the Nassau line. We serve Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay, plus the cities of Glen Cove and Long Beach.
Nassau County home careWe also staff HHA, PCA, and nursing hours in Queens; NHTD and TBI waiver services are Nassau and Suffolk only. The full picture is on our service area page. Coming home after a hospital stay? Start with home care after a hospital stay and call with the discharge date.
How to start with Bryan Skilled Home Care
- Call or send a Care RequestCall (631) 608-8523 or use the Care Request form. Tell us the town, whether Medicaid is active, and whether the person is already in an MLTC plan. Online, share only basic contact details.
- We sort out the pathIn a plan we work with? We contact the plan care manager. If not, we explain the application, the NYIAP assessment, and plan choice.
- Care starts once hours are authorizedA nurse helps shape the plan of care, we match an aide to the schedule, and our coordinators stay in touch as needs change. The office is open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, with 24-hour on-call for clients on service.
For MLTC care managers and waiver coordinators
Refer online through Refer a Patient, call (631) 608-8523, or fax (631) 608-8527. We confirm receipt, including when the answer is no. Coverage we work with: Medicaid MLTC, NHTD/TBI waiver, private pay, workers' compensation, and long-term care insurance. Plan lists change.
Medicaid home care questions
Do you take Medicaid?
We work with Medicaid Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans, including Aetna, Fidelis, Senior Whole Health/Molina, and VNS, and with the NHTD and TBI waivers when services are authorized. The plan or waiver has to authorize the hours. Call (631) 608-8523 so the office can check the plan in front of you.
Do you take Medicare?
No. Bryan Skilled Home Care is a Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA), not a Medicare-certified home health agency (CHHA). We do not bill Medicare. Families often use a certified agency for Medicare nursing visits and us for aide hours Medicare does not cover.
What areas do you serve?
Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Queens, coordinated from 15 Albany Avenue, Amityville, NY 11701. Care on the East End is based on availability. See Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens.
How do hours get authorized?
For MLTC, the state's assessor (NYIAP) checks eligibility, then the plan decides how many hours and how often. For the NHTD and TBI waivers, the waiver service plan sets the hours. We staff what is authorized. Private pay can fill a gap when public hours are not in place yet, or when a family wants extra hours.
Are you Medicaid consultants or a home care agency?
We are a Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA). We staff authorized HHA/PCA and nursing hours through MLTC plans and the NHTD/TBI waiver when authorized. We are not a Medicaid planning or trust consultancy. Call (631) 608-8523.
What is the NYIAP assessment, and how do we schedule it?
NYIAP is the state's assessment for adults asking to join an MLTC plan. Call 1-855-222-8350 (TTY 1-888-329-1541) (Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 8 pm, Sat 10 am to 6 pm). A registered nurse does the Community Health Assessment, which the state says usually takes 2 to 3 hours, and a clinician does an appointment of up to an hour, at home or by video. See the NYIAP FAQ.
We are already in an MLTC plan. Can Bryan Skilled Home Care be our agency?
Often, yes. If your plan works with us, ask the plan care manager to authorize Bryan Skilled Home Care as the home care agency, or call (631) 608-8523 and we will reach out to the plan with you. The plan has to approve the agency before we can start.
What if the plan approves fewer hours than we think are needed?
The plan's written decision explains your appeal rights and how to ask for a review, so keep every notice. If needs change, ask the plan for a new assessment.
Official New York State sources
Rules change. These are the state pages this guide is based on, last checked October 21, 2026:
- NYS Department of Health: Managed Long Term Care (MLTC)
- NYS Department of Health: New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIAP)
- NYS Department of Health: How to Apply for NY Medicaid
- New York Medicaid Choice: Do I qualify for Managed Long Term Care?
- New York Independent Assessor Program: Frequently Asked Questions
Request a call back
Tell us the town and whether the person is on an MLTC plan, waiver, or private pay. A coordinator will follow up during office hours. To start care, call (631) 608-8523.
15 Albany Avenue, Amityville, NY 11701
Mon-Fri 9 to 5, 24 hour on-call
Prefer to talk? Call (631) 608-8523.
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