ServiceLink New Hampshire: Your Front Door to Elder Care Services

You've just been told your parent needs long-term care, and someone at the hospital mentioned calling "ServiceLink." But nobody explained what it actually does, what to ask for, or how it connects to Medicaid. Here's the operational reality.

What ServiceLink Actually Does

ServiceLink is New Hampshire's statewide network of Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). It is the mandatory first contact point for anyone seeking state-funded long-term care — whether that's nursing home Medicaid, the Choices for Independence home care waiver, or simply understanding what options exist.

When you call ServiceLink (toll-free at 1-866-634-9412), you'll be connected with an options counselor who handles three critical functions:

1. Preliminary financial screening — they'll walk through your parent's income and assets to estimate whether they're likely to qualify for Medicaid.
2. Clinical referral coordination — they initiate the process for the Medical Eligibility Assessment, the in-person nursing evaluation that determines whether your parent meets the clinical threshold.
3. Options counseling — they explain the difference between nursing facility coverage, the CFI waiver for home-based care, and other community resources your parent might access.

ServiceLink does not make the final eligibility decision. Financial eligibility is determined by the Bureau of Family Assistance (BFA), and clinical eligibility is assessed by the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services (BAAS). But ServiceLink is the intake mechanism that connects these two bureaucracies.

How to Use the NH EASY Portal

The NH EASY portal (nheasy.nh.gov) is the state's online gateway for submitting Medicaid applications electronically. You can use it to:

• Submit BFA Form 800 (the initial Medicaid application)
• Upload supporting documents (bank statements, property deeds, tax returns)
• Track your application status
• Complete annual renewals (BFA Form 800R)

Filing through NH EASY gives you an immediate electronic timestamp and lets you monitor processing status, which matters when the state is federally mandated to process applications within 45 days.

If your parent cannot navigate the portal themselves, you can file on their behalf using BFA Form 778 (Authorized Representative designation), which lets you receive notices, speak with DHHS, and manage the Medicaid case.

What to Prepare Before Your First Call

ServiceLink counselors can only help you if you come prepared. Before your first call, gather:

• Your parent's monthly income — Social Security statements, pension documents, any other income sources.
• A rough asset inventory — bank account balances, retirement accounts (IRAs and 401(k)s are counted as assets in New Hampshire), life insurance cash values, and any real property.
• A list of daily care needs — be specific about which Activities of Daily Living your parent struggles with (bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence). The clinical assessment requires evidence of needing help with at least two.
• Power of Attorney status — know whether your parent has a valid Durable Financial Power of Attorney. If they don't and they're already incapacitated, ServiceLink cannot fix this — you'll need to pursue guardianship through probate court.

The Timeline From First Call to Coverage

Here's what the typical sequence looks like:

Days 1-5: You call ServiceLink. They conduct the preliminary screening and submit a referral for the clinical assessment.

Days 6-20: A registered nurse from BAAS schedules and performs the Medical Eligibility Assessment. Simultaneously, you (or your elder law attorney) should be restructuring assets and preparing the financial application.

Days 21-30: You submit BFA Form 800 through NH EASY with all required verifications — five years of bank statements, property deeds, tax returns, health insurance premium documentation, and POA copies.

Days 31-75: The BFA processes the application. They'll issue a Notice of Decision detailing approval or denial, the effective start date, and patient liability calculations.

If the assessor hasn't contacted you within 10 business days of your ServiceLink referral, call back immediately. The clinical evaluation is often the bottleneck, and delays here push back the entire timeline.

What ServiceLink Cannot Do

ServiceLink counselors are not attorneys. They cannot advise you on asset protection strategies, draft powers of attorney, set up trusts, or tell you how to restructure your parent's finances to qualify for Medicaid. They explain the rules and connect you to the application process — the planning is on you.

For the step-by-step planning process — from asset restructuring through the application to annual renewal — the New Hampshire Medicaid Long-Term Care & Asset Protection Guide covers every phase with NH-specific worksheets and document checklists.

See more New Hampshire guides →