Hochul Signs New Dementia Support Law to Help New York Seniors

New York will expand NY Connects so families facing Alzheimer’s and dementia can more easily find care, services and caregiver support.

New York families dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia will soon have a clearer path to finding help. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Wednesday requiring the state’s NY Connects program to specifically provide information about programs and services for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The change is intended to make a complicated long-term care system easier for seniors, caregivers and families to navigate.

Hochul signed the legislation, A4195-A/S118-A, while attending State Sen. Cordell Cleare’s 5th Annual Senior Citizens Day celebration in Harlem. Cleare sponsored the Senate bill, while Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman sponsored the Assembly version.

The law comes at a critical time for New York. The state has millions of older residents, and the population continues to age. New York projects that its population age 60 and older will reach about 5.3 million by 2030.

What the New Dementia Support Law Does

The legislation amends New York Elder Law and expands the responsibilities of NY Connects: Choices for Long Term Care.

NY Connects already serves as a statewide source of free and unbiased information about long-term services and supports for people of all ages and disabilities. Residents and caregivers can use the program to learn about home care, community services, institutional care and other assistance.

Under the newly signed legislation, NY Connects must specifically include information about services and programs available for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The law requires the program to:

• Provide information about Alzheimer’s and dementia programs and services.
• Help individuals, caregivers and families find home-based, community-based and institutional long-term care.
• Include dementia services as part of NY Connects information and assistance.
• Conduct continuing public education and outreach about available resources.

The legislation takes effect one year after becoming law, meaning the new statutory requirements are scheduled to take effect in August 2027.

A One-Stop Resource for Families

For families caring for someone with dementia, simply knowing where to begin can be difficult.

New York already offers respite care, caregiver education and other programs, but those resources can be spread across different agencies and organizations. The purpose of the new law is not to create an entirely new system of dementia care. Instead, it makes existing and future dementia resources easier to locate through a system New York already operates.

“On Senior Citizens Day, New York is making it easier for older New Yorkers and their families to find the support they need when facing difficult diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Hochul said in announcing the bill signing.

Hyndman said families often faced a more basic problem: they did not know where to look.

By putting dementia information into NY Connects, she said, the state can create a more effective “one-stop shop” for people searching for assistance.

That distinction matters.

NY Connects does not replace doctors, medical treatment or individual care planning. It is an information and referral system designed to help people identify services and understand their long-term care options.

Alzheimer’s Caregiving Carries a Heavy Cost

The need for easier access to information extends well beyond patients themselves.

Family caregivers often help with meals, transportation, medications, appointments, personal care and supervision. Those responsibilities can affect a caregiver’s finances, physical health, employment and emotional well-being.

The New York State Office for the Aging says family caregivers are an essential part of the state’s long-term care system and acknowledges the financial, physical and emotional challenges that can come with caregiving.

New York reported in 2024 that about 543,000 caregivers provided an estimated 879 million hours of unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The state also cited data showing that 70 percent of dementia caregivers found coordinating care stressful.

That helps explain why connecting families with respite care and other assistance can be so important.

New York’s respite programs can provide caregivers with temporary relief from their responsibilities, while other programs provide education and help families navigate community services.

Hochul Links Dementia Policy With Senior Affordability

During the event, Hochul also highlighted several state policies aimed at reducing health care costs for older residents.

Her administration has increasingly framed those programs against changes being made by the Trump administration in Washington.

One issue involves Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in July that the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will end after Dec. 31, 2026. The program began in 2025 to limit premium volatility for participating stand-alone prescription drug plans as major changes to Medicare Part D took effect.

The Hochul administration has criticized that decision and warned it could increase costs for some seniors.

There is an important qualification.

Ending the demonstration does not end Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. CMS currently projects that most beneficiaries will see premium changes of less than $10 per month, and some could see decreases. Final plan-specific costs will vary.

That means the actual effect on individual New York seniors will depend on their plans and the premiums offered for 2027.

New York Points to Health Care Savings

Hochul also highlighted three New York initiatives.

Medicare Savings Program

The Medicare Savings Program assists qualifying Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes by helping pay Medicare costs, including Part B premiums.

The Hochul administration says an expansion increased enrollment by about 20 percent and that more than one million New Yorkers are now served through the program. The administration says eligible participants can save $203 per month on Medicare Part B premiums.

Insulin Co-Pays

New York eliminated insulin cost-sharing for state-regulated health insurance plans beginning in 2025.

The governor’s office estimates the policy has saved New Yorkers about $25 million since implementation.

EpiPen Costs

New York also enacted a law requiring certain commercial health insurance plans to cover medically necessary epinephrine auto-injectors while limiting consumer out-of-pocket expenses.

The Hochul administration estimates the measure has saved New Yorkers approximately $2.4 million in 2026.

The Political Debate Over Senior Health Costs

Hochul used the bill signing to draw a contrast between her administration and President Donald Trump’s administration on health care.

Those comments reflect the governor’s political position.

The underlying federal policy change, however, is narrower than some political descriptions suggest. CMS is ending a temporary Part D premium-stabilization demonstration, not Medicare Part D itself. Federal officials say the demonstration is no longer necessary because insurers have had time to adjust to the redesigned prescription drug benefit.

Critics, including Hochul, argue that removing federal premium support could place additional pressure on seniors living on fixed incomes.

Both points are important for readers evaluating the policy.

The ultimate effect will become clearer when beneficiaries compare their 2027 Medicare prescription drug plans and premiums.

What New York Seniors and Caregivers Can Do Now

Families do not have to wait for the new law to take effect before seeking assistance.

NY Connects already provides information about long-term services, caregiver assistance and community resources.

New Yorkers can call NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871 for free information about long-term services and supports.

Caregivers can also ask about respite services that may provide temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities.

For a family confronting an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis, the greatest challenge is often not simply finding a program. It is figuring out which program fits, who qualifies and where to make the first call.

New York’s new dementia legislation is designed to make that first step easier.

As the state’s senior population grows, making services easier to find may prove nearly as important as creating the services themselves. Families caring for loved ones with dementia should learn about NY Connects now, share the resource with other caregivers and seek assistance before a crisis makes those decisions even harder.