Waiver programs are used to offer applicants additional care and services that conventional programs were unable to provide. Such is the case with The Nursing Home Transitional and Diversion Waiver Program (NHTD).
In the past Medicaid applicants who needed 24/7 home care services and were denied by their Manage Long Term Care Agency (MLTC), had the opportunity to switch to (NHTD). NHTD waiver program was able to provide 12/7 and 24/7 of home care services; however, on November 23, 2025 federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid placed a cap on the maximum number of participants allowed to serve.
In order to comply with federal requirements, New York State amended the waiver and set a maximum number of participants for the waivers years 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 to 9,400 for all three years. Considering they have presently reached the approved maximum number of participants, they have placed a suspension for any new referrals to the NHTD waiver program at this time. The Department of Health will review the waiver census on a regular basis and will communicate waiver availabilty to the Regional Resource Development Centers. Basically, participants need to drop out of the system before new applicants can appply.
The Regional Resource Development Centers will provide this information to the public and will process new referrals for any available spaces on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Individuals interested in additional information may reach out to:
nhtdwaiver@health.ny.gov for any questions.