NYC Medicaid Planning Lawyers

Planning for long-term care involves more than understanding numbers on a balance sheet. It’s about protecting your family, preserving your independence, and making thoughtful choices while you still have options.

At Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC, we work with individuals and families across New York City and Long Island to design Medicaid plans that align with your financial goals and personal values. With decades of combined experience in elder law and estate planning, our attorneys help clients structure their assets so that long-term care needs are met without eroding a lifetime of savings.

Whether you are planning years ahead or responding to a sudden change in health, our goal is to give you clarity and confidence in your next steps.

Planning for Long-Term Care: Protecting What You’ve Built

Every family we work with has a different story. Some are helping aging parents remain at home with support. Others are preparing for a transition to assisted living or skilled nursing care. In every case, planning early offers more flexibility and better outcomes.

Our attorneys consider the full scope of your financial and personal situation, including:

How New York’s Medicaid resource and income limits apply to your household
The ownership structure of your home and investments
Spousal protections if one partner requires care
Coordination with existing trusts, wills, and estate plans

By identifying the right strategies in advance, we help clients avoid the need for “spend down” scenarios that force the liquidation of valuable assets.

For context, the average monthly cost of a private nursing home room in New York City exceeds $14,000. Planning before care is needed can preserve substantial wealth for your spouse, children, or charitable goals.

“I often hear the perception that only poor people get Medicaid, and that anyone with assets won’t qualify. The truth is that people can become eligible with proper planning, or even in a crisis situation, and can preserve a sizeable amount of their life savings.”

—Frank E. Hemming, III, Partner

NYC Medicaid Planning Team

AARON E. CONNOR

Frank E. Hemming III

Tommaso Marasco, Esq.

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elderly couple in need of estate planning

Home caregiver helping a senior man standing up at home

Understanding Medicaid Eligibility in New York

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage for individuals with limited income and resources. In New York, it is often the primary payer for long-term care, including nursing home stays, home care, and assisted living services.

Many families are surprised to learn that Medicare does not cover extended nursing home or custodial care, except for short-term rehabilitation after a hospital stay. Medicaid can help cover these costs, but eligibility depends on meeting strict income and asset requirements.

Under New York’s transfer-of-assets and look-back rules, the state reviews an applicant’s financial transactions for the previous 60 months to determine whether assets were transferred for less than fair market value to qualify for coverage. The Department of Health’s guidance explains how transfers are evaluated and how any resulting penalty period is calculated.

Under New York’s Medicaid transfer-of-assets rules, the state may review certain financial transactions to determine whether assets were transferred for less than fair market value in connection with eligibility for nursing home Medicaid coverage.

In those cases, Medicaid can apply a penalty period that delays coverage based on the value of the transfer. The Department of Health’s guidance explains how these transfers are evaluated and how any penalty period is calculated.

However, New York does not apply a look-back period for Medicaid home care benefits, meaning applicants seeking coverage for care at home are not subject to the same 60-month review.

This process can be highly technical and an attorney experienced in New York Medicaid law, such as those at Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC, can help structure your plan correctly, avoid disqualification, and ensure a timely approval when care is needed.

How Pierro, Connor & Strauss Supports Medicaid Planning Clients

Our firm has built its reputation on depth of knowledge, collaboration, and genuine care for the families we serve. Medicaid planning is not a one-time event—it’s a process that evolves with your health, finances, and family dynamics.

We begin by learning your priorities: where do you want to live and who will take care of you, what you want to preserve, who you want to protect, and other details. From there, we design a plan tailored to your needs, which may include:

Creating and funding a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)
Structuring gifts or transfers in compliance with New York Medicaid regulations
Drafting personal care agreements for family caregivers
Protecting a spouse’s financial well-being

Our attorneys also coordinate with accountants, financial advisors, and care managers to ensure your plan is comprehensive and practical.

What Our NYC Clients Are Saying

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I highly recommend Pierro, Connor & Strauss. Frank Hemming, Elizabeth Tranka, and Jennifer DaRosa are wonderful to work with. They are thorough, kind, respectful and trustworthy. They helped my family procure the necessary documents for our aunt’s estate and secured her finances with Medicaid. They continued to assist us with other difficult matters even after our contract was completed.

When relatives out of state needed assistance, Frank went out of his way to help them find local attorneys. In the future Pierro, Connor, & Strauss. will be the only place my family will rely on for all of our elder law needs. I can’t say enough kind words to let them know how much we appreciated their help during difficult situations. Thank you so much!

— Patrick P.

I had the pleasure of working with the law firm of Pierro, Connor and Strauss for the past several years on behalf of my mother and her estate. They were very helpful in guiding both my mother and I in creating a new will and setting up a Trust.

When it was time to transition my mother from home to an assisted living facility and eventually a nursing home, they provided me with more guidance. When I needed them to go to bat for me with Medicaid, they were fantastic! I also want to say how wonderful Stacey Davis, the paralegal that I communicated with mostly was so responsive, helpful and kind.

— Susan S.

Best law firm, hands down. Every single attorney is so attentive. I have never dealt with a law firm where you always feel like you’re welcomed and you matter. Everything from estate planning, Medicaid planning to the administration process. I could honestly say I have never felt so confident and comfortable.

— Jennifer D.

As a Geriatric Care Manager, I work with the Medicaid process regularly. These programs were very well done. Very clear and useful information. It is amazing they are offering this publicly for all to benefit from! I am impressed! Thank You!

— Janell S.

Experience Across New York City and the Capital Region

Pierro, Connor & Strauss serves clients throughout the state, including New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island), Long Island, Albany, and the greater Capital Region. Because Medicaid rules are administered at the local level, familiarity with county social services offices and their procedures can make a significant difference in how efficiently an application proceeds.

Our team’s decades of combined experience and long-standing relationships with community care providers allow us to guide clients through each stage of the process with accuracy and foresight.

Schedule a Consultation with a NYC Medicaid Planning Lawyer

If you’re considering long-term care planning for yourself or a loved one, now is the right time to start. Even one conversation can clarify your options and give you peace of mind about the path ahead.

Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC offers consultations in person, by phone, or via video conference. You’ll speak with an attorney who understands both the technical and personal aspects of Medicaid planning in New York.

Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation and learn how to preserve your family’s financial security while ensuring access to quality medical care.

Life Happens…..Are You Prepared?

Contact us today for a FREE consultation and we’ll be happy to help take the worry out of tomorrow so you can live today.