Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

Childhood Cancer Lantern
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New Jersey program

Medicaid without counting parents' income (MLTSS)

A route into NJ FamilyCare for children who need substantial nursing care at home (MLTSS). Parents' income and savings are left out.

What it is

A route into NJ FamilyCare for children who need substantial nursing care at home (MLTSS). Parents' income and savings are left out.

Some children need skilled nursing beyond ordinary parenting. This route checks those needs and the child's own finances. A cancer diagnosis alone does not meet the nursing test.

Eligibility rules
  • The pediatric route covers birth through age 20.
  • In 2026, the child's own monthly income cap is $2,982. Qualifying children are assessed without parents' income or resources.
  • Your child's assessment must show age-related functional limitations beyond ordinary parenting AND high-acuity nursing needs. Those needs must involve complex skilled interventions around the clock, or life-supporting equipment needing ongoing skilled nursing. A diagnosis, frequent visits or ordinary monitoring alone does not meet this test.
  • For a qualifying child through age 20, parents' income and resources are excluded. DDS or the plan must confirm your child's own resource limit and exclusions, available capacity and expected service-start time. Financial approval, approved hours and an available nurse are separate questions. DDS can also explain whether another child disability-coverage route applies.
What you get
  • Full NJ FamilyCare if your child meets the nursing and financial tests.
  • Nursing hours based on your child's assessed needs.
  • Parents' earnings and savings do not count for a qualifying child.
What the help covers
  • A clinical assessment sets the need for long-term services. A diagnosis by itself does not establish eligibility.
  • The child's NJ FamilyCare plan arranges the covered services after enrollment.
If you decide to apply
  1. You can ask the oncology team to describe the nursing tasks and equipment your child needs at home.
  2. You can ask the Division of Disability Services for a pediatric assessment. If your child already has NJ FamilyCare, ask the assigned health plan.

Division of Disability Services: 1-888-285-3036 · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The oncology team's notes should describe specific tasks, their frequency and any equipment.
  • A child already enrolled starts with the assigned health plan rather than a new ordinary coverage application.
Good to know

Ordinary Medicaid may already cover home nursing. The plan can assess whether MLTSS adds services your child needs.

Other details
  • Ordinary Medicaid can cover nursing. The plan can still assess whether separate MLTSS services would help your child.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Does our child's care meet the nursing test that leaves parents' income out? What would this route add, and could you help with the assessment if it is appropriate?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand whether our child's nursing needs open a coverage route beyond the usual family income limit.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Call the referral line, describe the nursing the child needs at home, and gather the oncology team's notes on it.

Your social worker

The oncology team writes what nursing the child needs at home and what equipment is in use.

The care team

The oncology nurse or attending describes the skilled nursing needed at home in the words the assessment uses.

Who decides
The Division of Disability Services and the child's NJ FamilyCare health plan, using the state assessment.
Ask your social worker
“We are over the NJ FamilyCare line. Can we be referred for the nursing assessment that leaves parents' income out, and can the team write down the nursing my child needs at home?”

How to apply

First step: Call the Division of Disability Services on 1-888-285-3036 and ask for the pediatric screening.

  1. Call the Division of Disability Services on 1-888-285-3036 and say the child needs skilled nursing at home.
  2. Ask the oncology team to write down the nursing tasks and the equipment, not the diagnosis.
  3. If the child is already on NJ FamilyCare, ask the health plan to start the assessment.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Call the Division of Disability Services on 1-888-285-3036 for a child birth through 20. A child already on NJ FamilyCare starts the assessment through their assigned health plan.

What to gather

The diagnosis letter, the child’s insurance card, and the last two pay stubs cover most applications. The official page lists the rest.

How long: The state contract gives five business days to screen a member already in a plan and 30 days after that to finish the clinical assessment. The wait for a child coming in from outside was not published.

What a yes looks like

A clinical finding that the child meets the pediatric test, then an NJ FamilyCare card and a nursing plan from the health plan.

What a no looks like, and the next move

A finding that the care is not skilled nursing beyond ordinary parenting. Ask what would change that and whether the oncology team can add detail.

Watch out

  • The test is the nursing your child needs, not the leukaemia. Ask the team to describe the tasks.
  • New Jersey did not publish how many children this route takes or how long the wait is. Ask on the call.
  • A child already under the NJ FamilyCare line does not need this route; the plain application opens the same nursing benefit.

Dates that change this

2026-09-11: Whether New Jersey has a Katie Beckett option was not published. This nursing route is the parental-income-disregard door the state does describe. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

2026-09-11: How many children this route takes, and any waiting list, were not published. Ask the referral line what the wait is now. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Full NJ FamilyCare plus nursing hours, with parents' income and savings left out. The child's own income is capped at $2,982 a month.

  • $2,982/month — MLTSS individual Medicaid income cap, 2026 (the child's own income)

Covers: Full NJ FamilyCare coverage · Private-duty nursing hours at home · Care management through an NJ FamilyCare health plan

Legal protection: Parents' income and resources are not counted for a child who meets the pediatric clinical test

What it costs the family: Cost sharing for this route was not published.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
birth through 20
Age max exclusive
21
Income
The child's own income, capped at $2,982 a month in 2026; parents' income and resources are not counted for a child who meets the pediatric clinical test
Level of care
Age-related functional limitations requiring care beyond ordinary parenting AND the specified high-acuity nursing need: complex skilled interventions around the clock, or a life-supporting device requiring ongoing skilled nursing. A diagnosis or monitoring alone does not establish this test.
Residency
New Jersey
Waiting list
unknown: approved capacity and any dated waiting-list count were not published

The trap: A leukaemia diagnosis on its own is not the test the state publishes. What is assessed is the child's functional limitations and the skilled nursing the care needs. Ask the oncology team to describe the nursing, not the cancer.

Where I read this

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