Push to Raise PNA Grows
Advocates, residents and elected officials gathered at Monroe Community Hospital on Aug. 12 to call for an increase in the amount of money New York nursing home residents receiving Medicaid are allowed to keep each month for personal needs.
The personal needs allowance, or PNA, has remained at $50 per month since 1988. Advocates say the amount has not kept pace with the cost of everyday goods and services and limits residents’ ability to make personal choices and maintain their independence.
Assemblymember Harry Bronson, a sponsor of legislation to increase the allowance, said the current amount is no longer adequate.
“Having a personal needs allowance that really mirrors where we are in our economy right now is important,” Bronson said. “It’s about living. It’s about being able to have a little bit of autonomy, a little bit of dignity.”
The legislation would increase the monthly allowance and index it to inflation, allowing the amount to increase each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
For residents, the difference could mean being able to purchase clothing and personal-care items, get a haircut, enjoy a meal with a friend or purchase a birthday gift for family or friends without having to choose between basic necessities.
Debbie Leary, a Monroe Community Hospital resident and longtime advocate for increasing the PNA, has spent the past several years raising awareness about the issue. Her efforts have included collecting petitions, reaching out to nursing homes across New York and meeting with elected officials.
Statewide, advocates have collected thousands of signatures in support of an increase.
The New York State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program also has made increasing the PNA a priority after hearing concerns from residents across the state. The program serves as an independent advocate for residents of long-term care facilities and works to ensure their voices are heard.
Speakers at the event emphasized that the issue is about more than money. The ability to spend even a small amount on personal items can help residents maintain a sense of choice, dignity and connection to the community.
New York is also behind other states, with most providing a higher allowance.
The push in New York includes two legislative tracks. Bronson said advocates are working to advance legislation in both the Assembly and Senate while also urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to include an increase in her executive budget proposal.
Because the change would have Medicaid-related financial implications, advocates said including the increase in the state budget will be critical to moving the issue forward.
Advocates are encouraging residents, families and community members to contact their state representatives, ask lawmakers to co-sponsor the legislation and urge the governor to include an increase in the executive budget.
SIGN THE PETITION
The New York State Office for the Aging and Long Term Care Ombudsman Program invites the public to support the effort to increase the PNA by signing an online petition at https://aging.ny.gov/raise-personal-needs-allowance-pna.
