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Free Guide · New York Medicaid Home Care

MLTC in New York: How to Get Home Care Through Your Plan

If your loved one has New York Medicaid and needs ongoing help at home, their care almost certainly runs through a Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) or Medicaid managed care plan. This guide explains what MLTC is, how home care hours actually get approved, and how a trusted relative or friend can become the paid, certified aide — in plain language. Facts last reviewed October 7, 2026.

The Home Care Agency is a free enrollment matching service — not a home care agency, not an MLTC plan, and not a government agency. This guide is educational; eligibility and authorized hours are always determined by the state program and your plan.

What MLTC Actually Is

Managed Long Term Care is how New York Medicaid organizes long-term services for adults who need help with daily activities — bathing, dressing, mobility, meals — for more than 120 days. Rather than paying each provider directly, Medicaid pays an MLTC plan, and the plan manages the member's long-term care: it arranges the needs assessment, writes the care plan, authorizes services such as personal care (PCA) or home health aide (HHA) hours, and pays the licensed agencies that deliver them.

Plans you may recognize include Fidelis Care at Home, MetroPlus MLTC, Centers Plan for Healthy Living, VillageCareMAX, and Elderplan HomeFirst, among others; which plans operate in your county varies. Mainstream Medicaid managed care, HARP, and MAP plans can also authorize personal care services. The practical point for families is the same in every case: the plan authorizes the hours, and a licensed agency delivers the care.

How Home Care Gets Approved, Step by Step

  1. Medicaid first. The person needing care must have New York Medicaid or qualify for it. Medicare alone does not cover ongoing home care — though many members have both ("dual eligible").
  2. Independent assessment. New York uses an independent assessment process to evaluate how much help the person needs with daily activities. The outcome drives everything that follows — it is the basis for the plan's care plan and authorized hours.
  3. The plan authorizes services. Based on the assessment, the MLTC or managed care plan authorizes personal care or home health aide hours. Hours are set by this process, not by any agency or marketing service.
  4. A licensed agency delivers the care. A Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA) employs the aide, handles training, scheduling, payroll, and compliance, and bills the plan. This is where families have a real choice — including, in many cases, choosing who the aide is.

Where we fit: we're the free navigator for steps you'd otherwise figure out alone. One call and we help you understand whether the program may fit, what the assessment involves, and which licensed, Medicaid-approved agency in your county can serve you.

Can Someone You Trust Be the Paid Aide?

In many cases, yes. Under the licensed-agency model, the person your family chooses — often a relative or close friend who is already helping — can be hired by the agency, trained and certified as a home aide for free, and paid through the program to provide the care.

One New York rule to know up front: a spouse, parent, son, daughter, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law cannot be the paid caregiver. Other relatives — a sibling, grandchild, niece or nephew — as well as friends and neighbors, can be. If the person you have in mind is excluded, a call is still worth it: families in that situation typically choose another trusted person, or use a professional aide from the licensed agency.

Questions

Questions New York Families Ask About MLTC and Home Care

What is MLTC in New York?
MLTC stands for Managed Long Term Care — a type of New York Medicaid plan that manages long-term care services, including home care, for people who need help with daily activities for more than 120 days. Instead of Medicaid paying providers directly, your MLTC plan assesses your needs, authorizes services such as personal care, and pays the licensed agencies that deliver them.
Which plans are MLTC plans?
New York has many MLTC plans, and availability varies by county. Well-known examples include Fidelis Care at Home, MetroPlus MLTC, Centers Plan for Healthy Living, VillageCareMAX, and Elderplan HomeFirst. The complete, current list is published by the New York State Department of Health. We are not affiliated with any plan — we help families understand their options and connect with a licensed home care agency that works with their plan.
How many home care hours will the plan approve?
There is no fixed number — hours are determined by an independent assessment of the person’s needs and the plan’s resulting care plan. Anyone promising a specific number of hours before an assessment is not being straight with you. What we can do is help you understand the process and connect you with a licensed agency that delivers the hours your plan authorizes.
Can a family member be the paid caregiver under an MLTC plan?
Often, yes — through the licensed-agency (LHCSA) model, a relative or friend you trust can become a certified home aide employed by the agency that serves you. New York state rules exclude some relationships: a spouse, parent, son, daughter, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law cannot be the paid caregiver. Other relatives — a sibling, grandchild, niece or nephew — and friends or neighbors can, and the agency provides the required training and certification for free.
Is this CDPAP?
No. CDPAP (the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program) is a separate New York program now administered through a single statewide fiscal intermediary. We do not market or enroll for CDPAP. We connect families with Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), where the aide — who can be someone you chose — is a trained, certified employee of the agency.
My loved one has Medicare and Medicaid. Does MLTC still apply?
Yes — many MLTC members are "dual eligible," meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare does not cover long-term home care; Medicaid, through an MLTC or mainstream managed care plan, is what pays for ongoing personal care at home. If your loved one has Medicaid (or may qualify), it’s worth checking their options.
How do I get started?
One call is enough to get oriented. We’ll ask a few questions about Medicaid status, the care that’s needed, and your county, then explain the next steps — including the assessment — and connect you with a licensed, Medicaid-approved home care agency near you. The service is free to families; eligibility and hours are always determined by the program and the plan, not by us.

How this guide is verified

Program facts on this page were checked against the New York State Department of Health's official materials on Managed Long Term Care and the state's independent assessment process, in a review completed October 7, 2026. We do not cite commercial websites. Program rules change; before making decisions, confirm with the program or ask us and we'll help you check.

Make Sense of MLTC in One Call

Free and no obligation — we'll explain your options and match you with a licensed, Medicaid-approved home care agency in your county. Or read more on our New York home care page.

Call (929) 460-3141