Albuquerque Senior AdvisorBy Albuquerque Senior Advisor Care Team · October 13, 2026
New Mexico Medicaid's Community Benefit pays for home and community-based long-term care, including care services in assisted living. People already on full-coverage Turquoise Care ask their health plan. People who are not can call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-432-2080 to join the Central Registry, a waiting list from which slots are released based on need.
Two doors into the same benefit
The Turquoise Care Community Benefit is New Mexico Medicaid's package of long-term services and supports for people who need help to live at home or in a community setting instead of a nursing facility. It ranges from personal care at home to respite, adult day, home modifications and assisted living services. There are two ways in, and which one applies depends on whether your parent already has full-coverage Medicaid.
| Your parent is... | What to do | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| On full-coverage Medicaid with a Turquoise Care plan | Ask the plan's care coordinator about the Community Benefit | the plan's member services |
| On full-coverage Medicaid without a plan | Enroll in one of the four Turquoise Care plans first | 1-800-283-4465 |
| Not on full-coverage Medicaid but needs long-term services | Ask to be placed on the Community Benefit Central Registry | 1-800-432-2080 |
| Not sure | Apply for Medicaid and call the ADRC | 1-800-283-4465 / 1-800-432-2080 |
What is the Central Registry?
The Central Registry is the waiting list the Aging and Long-Term Services Department keeps for Community Benefit slots for people who are not otherwise eligible for full-coverage Medicaid. HCA's own page describes it plainly: there is currently a registry for the program, and slots are available based on need. You get on it by calling the ADRC.
Because it is a waiting list, timing matters. A family that calls only after savings are gone may face months without help. A family that calls when it can first see the end of private funds coming has a better chance of a smooth handoff.
What the Community Benefit pays in assisted living, and what it does not
Under the benefit's rule, 8.308.12 NMAC, assisted living is a residential service with individualized care from the member's care plan, but coverage does not include 24-hour skilled care or the cost of room and board. In practice the health plan pays for the care services and the resident pays the facility's room and board charge from their own income.
Two follow-up questions matter. Does the facility your parent likes accept Community Benefit residents from your parent's plan? And what will the room and board charge be, compared with your parent's monthly income? Get both answers in writing.
What are the financial limits?
The long-term care categories behind the Community Benefit use the institutional income standard, which is $2,982 a month in countable income from January 1, 2026 under 8.200.520 NMAC, and a resource limit of $2,000 under 8.281.500 NMAC. A burial fund of up to $1,500 each for the applicant and spouse is excluded, and there are protections for a spouse who stays at home.
Your parent also has to meet nursing facility level of care, a functional test of how much help they need. Medicaid decides both parts.
Which Turquoise Care plans can a member choose?
Turquoise Care has four health plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico ((866) 689-1523); Molina Healthcare of New Mexico ((844) 862-4543); Presbyterian Health Plan ((888) 977-2333); UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico (1-877-236-0826). Each plan has care coordinators who assess Community Benefit members and build the care plan, and each contracts with its own network of assisted living facilities and home care agencies. If a particular facility matters to your family, ask which plans it contracts with before choosing a plan.
Keep a record of every call
Write down the date, the person you spoke with and what you were told each time you call the ADRC, Medicaid or a health plan. Waiting lists and applications move slowly, and a simple log makes it much easier to follow up, to show when your parent was placed on the registry, and to ask an ombudsman or legislator's office for help if something stalls.
A practical timeline for Albuquerque families
If your parent is paying privately for assisted living or home care, sketch the month when savings will reach about $2,000. Twelve months before that month, call the ADRC about the Central Registry and ask the facility whether it accepts Community Benefit residents. Six months before, gather five years of financial records for the Medicaid application. Three months before, apply.
If the current facility does not accept the Community Benefit, use the same timeline to find one that does, so a move happens on your schedule rather than after a 15-day notice for nonpayment.
The Central Registry is and is not
| Is | Is not | |
|---|---|---|
| What | a waiting list for Community Benefit slots | a Medicaid application |
| Who | people not on full-coverage Medicaid | current Turquoise Care members |
| How | a call to the ADRC, 1-800-432-2080 | automatic |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Community Benefit Central Registry?
A waiting list kept by ALTSD for Community Benefit slots for people not otherwise on full-coverage Medicaid; slots are released based on need.
How do you get on the Central Registry?
Call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-432-2080.
Does the Community Benefit pay assisted living room and board?
No. It pays care services; the resident pays room and board from income.
What is the 2026 income standard for New Mexico Medicaid long-term care?
$2,982 a month in countable income, effective January 1, 2026.
