Personal Care Services Program (PCS)

  • Provides services such as housekeeping, meal preparation, bathing, toileting, and grooming

Who is eligible?

This program is available through Medicaid, private payment, and some health insurers.

For individuals in receipt of Medicaid, the Minimum Needs Requirements must be met as of September 1, 2025.

The Minimum Needs Requirement apply to Medicaid recipients aged 21 or older, seeking Personal Care Services (PCS) and Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS). This requirement also applies to all Medicaid recipients aged 18 and older who want to enroll in a Medicaid Advantage Plan (MAP) or Managed Long Term Care Plan (MLTCP). The Minimum Needs Requirements applies to initial assessments and subsequent reassessment that occurred on or after September 1, 2025.

To meet the Minimum Needs Requirements individuals must be:

  • assessed as needing at least limited assistance with physical maneuvering with more than two Activities of Daily Living; or
  • for individuals with a Dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis, assessed as needing at least supervision with more than one Activity of Daily Living.

The Minimum Needs Requirement does not apply to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) enrollment. This requirement does not apply to individuals who were authorized or receiving PCS/CDPAS and/or were continuously enrolled in an MLTC plan as of September 1, 2025. These individuals continue to be eligible under the previous criteria.

Before a person:

  • 18 years of age and over can receive services, they must have a community health assessment and clinical appointment completed by the New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIAP) to determine whether they are eligible for PCS.
  • under 18 years of age can receive services, their doctor must send a completed Physician's Order for Services to the local social services district or their Managed Care Plan, which then completes a community health assessment to determine whether they are eligible for PCS.

Who provides the services and how do Medicaid-eligible persons access them?

Medicaid managed care organizations and local departments of social services contract with home-care agencies that employ aides to provide Medicaid funded personal care services. New York State oversees the local departments of social services administration of their personal care services program.

Before a person:

  • 18 years of age and over can receive services, they must have a community health assessment and clinical appointment completed by the New York Independent Assessor (NYIA) to determine whether they are eligible for PCS.
  • under 18 years of age can receive services, their doctor must send a completed Physician's Order for Services to the local social services district, which then completes a community health assessment to determine whether they are eligible for PCS.

Click here and go to Frequently Asked Questions if you think you have an immediate need for personal care services and would like more information on how to get your eligibility processed more quickly for these services.