November 1, 2024
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Re: Increase Personal Needs Allowance for Persons Who Live in Nursing Homes to Improve Quality of Life
Dear Governor Hochul,
We, the undersigned organizations, represent or advocate on behalf of persons who live in nursing homes, urge you to include an increase in the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) from $50 to $200 in the FY 2025-2026 Executive Budget submission. As explained below, such an increase is a necessary investment in resident quality of life.
The PNA is the monthly sum of money that nursing home residents who receive Medicaid (majority of long-term care residents) are allowed to retain from their Social Security benefit and other sources of income, to spend on personal items and services that are not provided by the nursing home. The balance of their income, the Net Available Monthly Income (NAMI), goes towards the cost of their care.
If a resident uses Medicaid to pay for their nursing home stay, the nursing home must provide nursing services, dietary services, certain activity programs, room/bed, routine personal hygiene items and medically related social services. Medicaid does not pay for essential personal items and services that people who live in the community have become accustomed to. This includes the most basic items and services: getting a haircut, purchasing clothing and shoes, a card for a grandchild, quality toiletries, favorite foods or snacks, streaming services, TV, internet, a phone, non-medical transportation, and more.
Federal law allows New York State to set the PNA up to $200. Yet, New York has not updated its PNA of $50, since the 1980s. $50 in the 1980s is equivalent to $177 today. The PNA was intended to provide residents with an effective dollar amount each month to pay for a variety of expenses in their day-to-day life that are not included in what their NAMI and Medicaid pays to the nursing home for their care. $50 simply does not go far enough and in fact degrades resident dignity, independence, and quality of life. Recent budgets have included cost of living increases for providers; it is time to include a cost-of-living increase for residents.
Persons who live in nursing homes deserve to live with dignity and pride, not to be forced to live destitute, cut off from the community, and without the ability to purchase basic life necessities. New York has increased funding to nursing home operators with zero investment for residents. We urge you to invest in the quality of life for nursing home residents by including an increase in the PNA to $200 in the FY 2025-2026 budget.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with your staff to discuss this request further.
Sincerely
Lindsay Heckler Center for Elder Law & Justice
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