Long-term care • New York
New York Long-Term Care Insurance: Costs and the New York State Partnership
New York is the most expensive state in this group for nursing home care, with a 2025 median of $200,750 a year for a private room. It also has one of the strongest partnership programs: Total Asset Protection plans can shield all of your assets from Medicaid spend-down once the policy’s benefits are used.
This guide covers New York care costs, how the New York State Partnership works, 2026 minimum benefits, and your coverage options.
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What care costs in New York
| Type of care | New York median |
|---|---|
| Assisted living community | $85,320 |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $186,332 |
| Nursing home, private room | $200,750 |
Source: CareScout Cost of Care Survey, July–November 2025. The national median for assisted living was $76,200. Costs vary within the state, often running higher in large metro areas.
How the New York State Partnership works
- Total Asset Protection: once you use the required benefits, all of your assets are protected when you apply for Medicaid Extended Coverage.
- Dollar-for-Dollar: protects assets equal to the benefits the policy paid.
- Minimum coverage: plans require set amounts of nursing home and home care coverage, from 1.5 years of nursing home coverage for some Dollar-for-Dollar plans to 4 years for some Total Asset plans.
- 2026 minimum daily benefits: $415 for nursing home care and $207 for home care.
- Income isn’t protected: Medicaid income rules still determine what you contribute.
Source: New York State Partnership for Long-Term Care, 2026.
If you move out of New York
New York has reciprocity agreements with other partnership states. If you move to a reciprocal state before applying for Medicaid Extended Coverage, your assets are protected under that state’s Dollar-for-Dollar terms, and Total Asset plan holders can return to New York to protect all their assets. States can end reciprocity, so check before you move (NYSPLTC).
What Medicare won’t pay
Medicare doesn’t cover long-term custodial care, the everyday help with bathing, dressing, and eating that most people need (Medicare.gov). It can cover a skilled nursing facility stay of up to 100 days after a qualifying hospital stay, but in 2026 you pay $217 a day for days 21 through 100 (CMS). For longer care, New York residents rely on savings, insurance, or Medicaid.
Protections for a spouse at home
Federal rules protect part of a married couple’s assets and income when one spouse needs Medicaid long-term care. For 2026, states protect between $32,532 and $162,660 in assets for the spouse at home, with a monthly income allowance of at least $2,643.75 and up to $4,066.50 (CMS). Each state chooses where within those ranges to set its limits.
Coverage options for New York residents
- Traditional long-term care insurance: the most care benefit per premium dollar, though premiums can rise.
- Hybrid life and LTC policies: care benefits plus a death benefit if you don’t need care.
- Life insurance riders: use part of a death benefit for care.
- Short-term care insurance: covers a year or less of care, with simpler underwriting.
Premiums for tax-qualified policies can be deductible as medical expenses, up to $4,960 for ages 61 to 70 and $6,200 for 71 and older in 2026 (ElderLawAnswers).
Example: what the partnership can protect
Illustrative only: a New Yorker with $800,000 in savings buys a Total Asset Protection plan. After years of care, the policy pays its required benefits and she applies for Medicaid Extended Coverage. Under the Total Asset plan, her $800,000 isn’t counted, though her income still goes toward her care under Medicaid rules.
Checklist for New York residents
- Estimate care costs in your region; New York City and Long Island usually cost more.
- Decide between Total Asset and Dollar-for-Dollar partnership plans.
- Confirm the policy meets 2026 minimum daily benefits.
- Ask an elder law attorney how Medicaid rules apply to you.
- If you may move, check reciprocity with your new state.
New York long-term care FAQs
How much does a nursing home cost in New York?
The 2025 median for a private room was $200,750 a year, according to CareScout.
How much does assisted living cost in New York?
The 2025 median was $85,320 a year.
Does Medicare pay for long-term care in New York?
No. Medicare doesn’t cover long-term custodial care, though it can cover short skilled nursing stays.
What is Total Asset Protection in New York?
A partnership plan that protects all of your assets from Medicaid spend-down once the policy’s required benefits are used.
What are the 2026 minimum partnership benefits in New York?
$415 a day for nursing home care and $207 a day for home care.
Does a New York partnership plan protect my income?
No. Medicaid income rules still apply.
Can I keep my partnership protection if I move?
Often under reciprocity agreements, but protection may convert to Dollar-for-Dollar.
Related guides
Important information
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Cost and program figures. Care costs, Medicare and Medicaid amounts, and tax limits are cited from the sources named, for the years shown, and change regularly. Examples are illustrative, not quotes; your price depends on the insurer, your age, health, and the coverage you choose.
Not tax, legal, or Medicaid planning advice. Rules summarized here are general information as of November 2026. Talk with a tax professional or elder law attorney about your situation.
Availability. Coverage, prices, discounts, and eligibility vary by insurer, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
Your next step
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