Call To Action: Contact legislators to increase the Personal Needs Allowance

Written By Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

Can you live on $50 a month? Neither can nursing home residents. Contact your Legislators Today!

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.  The PNA is $50 and has not been adjusted or increased since 1988. $50 in 1988 is the equivalent to ~$140 today. Imagine trying to purchase basic life essentials when you only have $50.   Enough is enough and an increase to the PNA must be included in the state budget.

You can help make this happen by contacting Legislative Leadership and Your Legislators:

 

The Ask: Include an Increase in the Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents in the Budget!

Suggested Script:

My name is ___ and I am urging the Legislature to include an increase in the Personal Needs Allowance for nursing home residents in the upcoming budget. Can you live on $50 a month? Neither can residents. Set in 1988, $50 is all nursing home residents are allowed to keep each month to pay for essential personal items that are not covered by Medicaid. These include clothing, haircuts, cellphone services, cable/internet, birthday cards and more. Senator Cleare and Assemblymember Solages have legislation that would increase the PNA (A2048/S4744A). Nursing home residents cannot wait, and an increase must be included in the budget.  

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For more information on the Personal Needs Allowance and why it must be increased, please visit:

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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Impact report: Personal needs allowance