Better health starts at home, at the table, and in the community.
When health-related social needs like food insecurity and unsafe housing go unmet, they lead to avoidable emergency room visits, hospital stays, and preventable suffering.
New York's Social Care Network program is changing that. Met Council is on the front lines, screening Medicaid members, connecting them to services, and delivering real support.
If you or someone you know has Medicaid, call us. A real person will walk you through it.
A new way of caring for Medicaid members, one that addresses root causes before they become medical hardships.
New York's 1115 Medicaid Waiver created a network of Social Care Networks (SCNs) across the state.
The insight behind the program is simple but powerful: when health-related social needs like food insecurity and housing instability go unmet, they lead to avoidable emergency room visits, hospital stays, and preventable suffering, at great cost to both individuals and the healthcare system.
SCNs partner with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) like Met Council to do the hands-on work of serving Medicaid members directly. As a CBO, Met Council screens members, assesses their eligibility, navigates them into the right programs, refers them to other organizations when needed, and delivers services directly in two areas: nutritious food and home safety.
All services are covered by Medicaid at no cost to qualifying members.
This is the first coordinated statewide effort of its kind. It aligns with the vision of Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner Dr. James McDonald of the New York State Department of Health to transform how Medicaid cares for the New Yorkers it serves. Met Council is helping bring that vision to life at the community level.
Medicaid Waiver PolicyWhy this matters
Food as healthcare.
The Waiver treats food insecurity as a health issue, not just a social one. Eligible members get real nutritious food support, delivered to their home or available at a nearby pantry.
Safer homes.
For members at risk of falls or respiratory illness, the program covers safety modifications and environmental remediation that help people stay safe at home.
Community delivered.
Instead of navigating distant systems, members are connected to trusted local organizations like Met Council, who have served New York communities for over 50 years.
The problems are real. The solutions are proven.
is spent treating fall injuries among older adults in the United States. Simple home modifications like handrails and non-skid surfaces can prevent the falls that cause them.
Source: CDC / National Council on Aging
to be hospitalized. That is the increased risk for Americans experiencing food insecurity. Nutritious food is not just a social service. It is healthcare.
Source: Published longitudinal cohort study, National Health Interview Survey
was observed when food-insecure patients received community-based food support. Meeting needs before they become emergencies saves lives and saves money.
Source: Community partnership feasibility study, NIH/PubMed
From screening to ongoing care, we handle it all.
Screen.
We screen you for health-related social needs, including food insecurity, home safety risks, and other challenges, to understand your full picture.
Assess.
We review your eligibility and identify the specific programs you qualify for under the 1115 Waiver.
Navigate and Refer.
We walk you through your options, answer your questions, and enroll you in the programs you choose. If you qualify for services Met Council does not provide directly, we refer you to the right organization and make sure the connection sticks.
Service and Care Management.
We deliver services directly, from nutritious food to home safety modifications, and we continue working with you over time. As your needs change, we reassess, re-enroll, and stay by your side.
Keeping faith with the people we serve.
Behind every service we deliver is a person. A neighbor managing an illness. A parent trying to feed a family. A senior whose home needs simple modifications to prevent a fall and make it safe to stay.
Keeping faith with those people is what guides our work, and it is why we take compliance so seriously.
For us, compliance is not a box to check. It is how we make sure the meal that arrives at your door is the right one for your health, that we take the time to understand your situation and get your services right, and that the public dollars entrusted to this program truly reach the New Yorkers they were meant to help.
Our staff are well-trained, our standards are high, and our accountability is to the people we serve.
That is the promise Met Council has kept with New Yorkers for generations, and it is the promise we bring to this work every single day.
On Medicaid? We can help.
If you have Medicaid, you may be able to get services at no cost to you through Met Council. It does not matter which borough you live in, what language you speak, or what your dietary needs are.
We help everyone, and there is no wrong way to reach out. Give us a call and a real person will walk you through it, answer your questions, and connect you to the support you need.