Call to Action: Increase Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents

Written By Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

The Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) is the small portion of income that nursing home residents may keep each month to pay for essential personal items that are not covered by Medicaid. These everyday necessities include clothes, haircuts, books, hobby materials, snacks, cell phone services, cable/internet, cards and more. Small comforts that support everyday dignity. The rest of the resident’s income, known as a “NAMI” goes to the nursing home towards the cost of their care. 

The PNA is $50 and has not been adjusted or increased since 1988. $50 in 1988 is the equivalent to ~$140 today. The PNA is often a resident’s only source of spending money, yet $50 today has far less purchasing power than in 1988. $50 is not enough to meet basic personal expenses especially in a world where every day items continue to rise in price. The gap between what the PNA allows residents to afford and what residents need has direct consequences on resident quality of life, emotional well-being and dignity.

New York State has the ability to increase the PNA and must do so in the upcoming budget.

Contact Governor Hochul today and urge her to increase the PNA in the upcoming budget!

·       Contact the Governor online: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

·       Call the Governor: (518) 474-8390

For more information on the Personal Needs Allowance and why it must be increased, please visit: https://theconsumervoice.org/news/fact-sheet-what-is-personal-needs-allowance-pna-by-state-chart/

Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

Lindsay Heckler is the Policy Director at Center for Elder Law & Justice, where she manages the agency’s response to nursing home and long-term care policies and regulations; as well as other issues that impact older adults and vulnerable populations. She is the legal liaison for the partnership between the Center for Elder Law & Justice and People Inc.’s NYS Region 15 Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and is a certified ombudsman. In her roles as legal liaison and ombudsman, Ms. Heckler is an advocate and resource for information pertaining to long term care issues for residents in nursing homes, adult homes, and their families. Lindsay was previously Associate Compliance Counsel for a Medicare Compliance Company, assisting clients in navigating the CMS system, policy initiatives and appeals procedures. Lindsay graduated from the University of Rochester in 2007, University at Buffalo School of Law in 2010, and the University at Buffalo School of Public Health & Health Professions in 2011.

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