Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) Voucher Program for Persons with Dementia - Frequently Asked Questions

Program

What are the goals of the program?

The goals of the SNALR program are to promote aging in place by allowing individuals with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia living in Special Needs Assisted Living Residences (SNALRs) to remain in the least restrictive, most integrated setting possible and to reduce unnecessary discharges to skilled nursing facilities before that level of care is required.

Where can additional information about the program be found?

To find more information about the SNALR program, please visit: https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/adult_care/voucher/ .

Where can I submit questions and completed documents to, including the facility attestation form?

All questions and documents related to the program can be sent to ALTCteam@health.ny.gov .

Eligibility

Does the voucher payment affect the individual's supplemental security income (SSI)?

A person with SSI is categorically eligible for the Medicaid program which means that they are not eligible for the SNALR voucher program.

If an individual already has an agreement with the SNALR facility to pay a reduced rate due to a financial need, would the individual be eligible to apply for the SNALR voucher program?

As long as the individual meets the eligibility criteria as outlined at https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/adult_care/voucher/docs/eligibility.pdf , they would be eligible to apply for the program.

What if a person is already on Medicaid, are they eligible for this program?

Individuals that are on Medicaid are not eligible for this program.

Does the time in which the resident has resided in the Assisted Living Residence count towards the one year residency requirement?

Yes, provided that the facility is participating in the program and at the time of application the resident resides in a Special Needs Assisted Living Residence.

How much assistance will I be eligible for?

The dollar amount of the SNALR voucher depends on the resident's ability to contribute to the facility's monthly service fee. The law authorizes voucher amounts of up to 75 percent of the regional monthly cost of a SNALR. Please see the chart below for current voucher breakdowns.

Level of Resident Contribution Voucher Payment

• If a resident can contribute 0 – 25 percent of their monthly service fee, they will receive a voucher for 75 percent of the average regional monthly cost of care.
• If a resident can contribute 26 – 50 percent of their monthly service fee, they will receive a voucher for 50 percent of the average regional monthly cost of care.
• If a resident can contribute 51 percent or above of their monthly service fee, they will receive a voucher for 25 percent of the average regional monthly cost of care.

If the calculated SNALR voucher amount is greater than the difference between the resident's service fee and their household income, the voucher amount will be adjusted to cover that difference only.

Will individuals participating in this program be allowed to access their hospice benefit?

Yes, the receipt of a SNALR voucher does not affect access to hospice benefits.

SNALR Facility

When can facilities expect SNALR voucher payments to be made?

Facilities will receive SNALR voucher payments on a monthly basis through the Statewide Financial System (SFS).

If a facility is not currently enrolled in the program, how can they enroll?

Facilities interested in enrolling may contact the Department and staff at ALTCteam@health.ny.gov .

What are the programmatic requirements for facilities to remain an active participating facility?

It is a requirement of the program that facilities must review and annually resubmit the program’s attestation form as well as notify the Department as soon as possible if and when a SNALR voucher recipient exceeds the retention standards for the SNALR or leaves the residence for any reason. Those SNALR facilities enrolled in the program and in receipt of SNALR voucher payments on behalf of program recipients, are to submit a monthly roster for each SNALR Voucher recipient, including updates to facility representative contact information, on the first Monday of each month. All facilities are required to submit their rosters through a Health Commerce System (HCS) HERDS survey.

What is a State Financial System (SFS) Vendor ID?

If your organization is receiving reimbursement by the State for criminal history record checks for future employees, you have a 10-digit SFS vendor identification number.

Voucher payments will be made to facilities using the SFS vendor identification number.

Please check with your facility's accounting or finance department if you are unsure of your SFS Vendor Identification.

Will the Department be supplying the resident agreement addendum?

The Department encourages SNALR voucher recipients and participating facilities to reflect payment expectations resulting from participation in the SNALR voucher program. As such, the Department has developed an addendum to the resident agreement for use between Voucher recipients and facilities. This document is used to amend the resident's current in-force agreement and should be kept with the current residency agreement. This document outlines the resident's responsibility to provide payments to the facility together with the SNALR voucher payments under the SNALR voucher program as payment in full.

If a resident does not contribute their portion of the monthly payment, would there be grounds for discharge?

The provider must follow acceptable practices regarding the termination of a residency agreement. Those requirements are outlined at 18 NYCRR Section 487.5 and 488.5.

What is the facility's responsibility once a SNALR voucher recipient no longer resides at the facility?

Due to the population that the SNALR Voucher Program serves, there are many reasons that may affect a SNALR voucher recipient's status in the program. A resident may pass away while enrolled in the program, be discharged from the facility due to a need for a higher level of care, or be absent from the facility for rehabilitation, hospitalization, or home visits. In these instances, or any circumstances when the resident will be absent or no longer occupy their licensed bed, the facilities are required to notify the Department as soon as possible as to the resident's name, reason for discharge (or absence) from the facility, and date of discharge (and anticipated return, if known). The Department will determine whether a refund should be provided for funds paid in advance.