Medical Respite Program

Medical respite (recuperative care) is designed for homeless or unstably housed individuals who do not have an acute need to be hospitalized but require temporary housing (typically less than 90 days) and other social care supports to continue recovering from an illness post-hospitalization or to prepare for a medical procedure. New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) does not contract directly with any medical respite programs. Rather, NYSDOH’s role is to establish certification standards for medical respite programs and monitor certified programs to ensure compliance with these standards. Medical respite programs must have NYSDOH certification to receive Medicaid waiver-funded reimbursement for services through the Social Care Networks (SCNs)

Background

The State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2020-21 budget authorized NYSDOH to create medical respite programs to provide care to homeless patients who are too sick to be on the streets or in a traditional shelter but not sick enough to warrant inpatient hospitalization. The SFY 2021-22 budget included provisions to further support implementation of medical respite programs by:

  1. Providing a statutory framework for NYSDOH to issue certification for medical respite programs.
  2. Allowing the department to set core standards for the operation and services provided by certified medical respite programs.

In January 2024, NYSDOH adopted new regulations to govern medical respite programs in NYS (Medical Respite Regulations - 10 NYCRR Part 1007).

A. Supplemental and Regulatory Guidance for Medical Respite Providers:

  1. Guidance on Referrals, Assessments, and Service Plans - (Web) - (PDF)
  2. Guidance on Staffing - (Web) - (PDF) - updated August 22, 2024
  3. Guidance on Services - (Web) - (PDF)
  4. Guidance on Medication - (Web) - (PDF)
  5. Guidance on Discharge Planning - (Web) - (PDF) - Updated October 30, 2025
  6. Guidance on Recipient Rights and Responsibilities - (Web) - (PDF) - updated August 22, 2024
  7. Guidance on Medicaid Waiver Funded Medical Respite - (Web) - (PDF) - Updated October 30, 2025

DOH guidance for certified medical respite programs draws on principles and best practices identified in the 2021 Standards for Medical Respite Care Programs. DOH wishes to thank National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC) for its generosity in sharing this resource.

B. Medical Respite Program Templates (Tool Kit):

  1. Template Forms (may be modified to meet program needs)
    1. Admission Agreement
    2. Recipient Rights
    3. Recipient Rules and Code of Conduct - (PDF)
    4. Certificate of Interpretation - (PDF)
    5. Certificate of Translation - (PDF)
    6. Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Plan - (PDF)
  2. DOH Forms (must not be modified)
    1. Authorization to Share Information - English - (PDF)
    2. Authorization to Share Information - Spanish - (PDF)
    3. Incident Report - (PDF)
    4. Notice of Discharge - (PDF)

C. Medical Respite Certification Information:

  1. Component One -
    1. Component One Instructions - (Web) - (PDF)
    2. Checklist - (PDF)
    3. Application for Certification - (PDF)
    4. Physical Plant and Safety Plan - (PDF)
  2. Component Two -
    1. Onsite Inspection - (Web) - (PDF)

D. Webinars

Medical Respite Program Certification (October 2024) - Slide Deck - (PDF)