A SADC compliance review in New York should not begin the day the reviewer asks for records. New York State Department of Health guidance says all Social Adult Day Care programs contracted with Managed Long Term Care plans must undergo annual compliance review. The Department generally begins scheduling about six weeks before the review and requests preliminary materials through the MLTC plan.
For providers, the practical question is simple: if that request arrived today, could your team produce the right participant, PCSP, site, and supporting records without reconstructing them from paper binders, spreadsheets, emails, and staff memory?
The goal is not to predict every question a reviewer might ask. It is to keep current records organized enough that your MLTC plan can collect and submit what NYSDOH requests on time.
What Is a New York SADC Compliance Review?
The NYSDOH SADC compliance review process is used to verify that Social Adult Day Care programs contracted with MLTC plans continue to meet applicable state and federal requirements, including the CMS Home and Community-Based Services Settings Final Rule.
NYSDOH says all MLTC-contracted SADCs must be reviewed annually. The current SADC HCBS compliance review includes preparation before the review, an interview and facility walkthrough, document review, and follow-up if additional information or remediation is required.
This review should not be confused with a separate OMIG Medicaid audit. They are different oversight processes.
What Happens Before a 2026 SADC Compliance Review?
The current process gives providers some advance notice, but the documentation window can move quickly.
| Stage | Current NYSDOH Process |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | Department contacts MLTC plan about six weeks before review |
| Date confirmation | MLTC plan responds within 3 business days |
| Review materials | Department provides compliance questions and preliminary-document request |
| Checklist | MLTC plan receives access to the Preliminary Information Checklist |
| Initial submission | Requested materials are generally due within 10 business days |
| Review | SADC and MLTC representatives participate by Webex |
| Follow-up | Additional documentation may be requested |
| Non-compliance | MLTC plan and SADC may need to develop a remediation plan |
The important operational lesson is that six weeks of scheduling notice does not mean you have six weeks to rebuild records.
The SADC Compliance Review Preliminary Information Checklist was released by NYSDOH on February 6, 2026. The Department describes it as a comprehensive list of documents and information MLTC plans submit for the applicable review year.
Your SADC should therefore keep current supporting materials organized before a review is scheduled.
What SADC Compliance Review Documents Should You Have Ready?
The exact submission package should follow the current NYSDOH request, checklist, applicable rules, and instructions from your contracted MLTC plan. Do not replace the official checklist with a self-created one.
Operationally, however, providers can make several record categories much easier to retrieve before the request arrives. For a broader recordkeeping framework, see our adult day care documentation requirements guide.
1. Member Information and Requested Rosters
NYSDOH requests a member roster through the MLTC plan as part of the pre-review process. Make sure your member information is current enough that staff are not reconciling basic participant details for the first time after the review notice arrives.
That includes knowing which participant belongs to which payer or MLTC relationship and being able to locate the records connected to that person.
2. Current Person-Centered Service Plans
Completed PCSPs are specifically identified by NYSDOH as part of preliminary documentation it may request through the MLTC plan. This deserves particular attention in 2026.
NYSDOH's SADC compliance site states that its updated SADC PCSP template and user guide were released for use or alignment by May 1, 2026.
- Confirm the applicable PCSP is current
- Check that required sections are complete
- Verify it is properly executed where required
- Make sure it is associated with the correct member
- Confirm staff can retrieve the applicable version quickly
The goal is not just having a PDF somewhere. Staff should know which plan applies to the member and where to retrieve it.
3. Site and Facility Records
NYSDOH says MLTC plans are responsible for retaining SADC site-visit records and documents such as Certificates of Occupancy and being prepared to produce those records when requested.
The compliance review also includes a facility walkthrough. That means operational preparation is not limited to participant files.
Review whether applicable facility information, posted materials, and documents are current and accessible. During the review, the Department may request photographs or other evidence relating to conditions observed during the walkthrough.
4. Attendance and Service-Day Records
Attendance should not be confused with the official Preliminary Information Checklist unless NYSDOH or your MLTC plan specifically requests it. However, attendance remains an important part of broader New York SADC record integrity.
A February 2026 New York State Comptroller SADC audit reviewed 92,969 encounter claims at three SADC facilities and reported that 7,964 claims totaling $672,147 were not supported by the sign-in logs the auditors examined.
That audit was not the same thing as an NYSDOH annual compliance review. It does demonstrate why a center should be able to retrieve the operational record behind a participant day.
If your attendance currently lives on paper sheets or editable spreadsheets, see how adult day care attendance tracking can keep time-stamped attendance and correction history easier to retrieve.
5. Supporting Compliance Documentation
The Department provides compliance questions before the review and expects the MLTC plan and SADC representatives to discuss them in advance. Do not wait until the Webex call to determine where the supporting evidence lives.
- Identify what requirement is being verified
- Know who at the center can explain the process
- Locate the current document supporting the answer
- Confirm which version of the document is current
- Make sure a duplicate copy can be produced during the review
NYSDOH specifically tells SADCs to provide the most recent version of necessary supporting documentation to the MLTC plan by the due date and to have duplicate copies available on review day.
6. Prior Remediation and Proof of Completion
If your SADC had findings from a previous review, do not treat the remediation plan as a closed document once it was submitted.
NYSDOH can request proof that remediation actions were actually implemented. Examples may include documents, photos, updated procedures, or other evidence demonstrating that the corrective action occurred.
Keep that proof organized and connected to the finding it addressed.
What Should Your Team Expect on Review Day?
Current NYSDOH guidance says compliance reviews may last up to three hours. The Department reviewer conducts an interview with SADC and MLTC representatives and a walkthrough of the facility.
- Answer compliance questions clearly
- Show areas of the facility used by members
- Produce copies of requested documents
- Explain relevant practices or observations
- Note any additional documentation requested
- Work with the MLTC representative throughout the review
NYSDOH also currently asks providers and plans to make sure an adequate internet connection and a video-capable device are available because reviews are conducted through Webex.
A reviewer asking for an additional document should be a retrieval task, not the beginning of a search through several filing systems.
What Happens if the SADC Is Found Non-Compliant?
A non-compliant finding does not end with the review call.
Under NYSDOH's SADC remediation process, the MLTC plan and SADC work together to develop a remediation plan addressing identified areas of non-compliance.
The current process requires detailed corrective actions, and the plan is generally due to the Department within 10 business days.
The Department may later request proof of remediation showing that the promised corrective actions were actually completed.
This is one reason good recordkeeping extends beyond the day of the review. You may need to show a clear chain from finding to corrective action, implementation, and proof.
For a broader internal preparation exercise before any reviewer contacts you, use our adult day care audit checklist.
How Can You Check Review Readiness Before NYSDOH Asks?
Choose five participant records and one set of current facility or compliance records. Then run a simple retrieval test.
- Can you identify the member immediately?
- Can you locate the applicable current PCSP?
- Can you retrieve requested participant documentation?
- Can you identify the participant's attendance and service-day record if needed?
- Can you locate current site or facility documentation?
- Can you find prior remediation evidence, if applicable?
- Can another staff member find the same records without depending on one employee's memory?
If the answer repeatedly depends on asking one specific employee, checking a paper binder, or searching multiple spreadsheets, the problem is not only compliance. It is also a workflow problem.
How Can Adult Day Genie Help With SADC Review Readiness?
Adult Day Genie is designed to keep participant-day records from becoming separate islands of information. Member information, authorizations, care plans and forms, attendance, daily documentation, reporting, and Medicaid billing can stay closer together in one operational workflow.
Attendance entries are time-stamped, and corrections append to the history rather than quietly replacing the earlier record.
For centers using Medicaid billing, connected records can also make it easier to compare documentation with the claim or encounter information behind the participant day. Our adult day care Medicaid billing software guide explains that workflow in more detail.
You can also review the broader Adult Day Genie features used across attendance, member records, documentation, reporting, and billing.
Adult Day Genie does not determine whether an SADC meets every New York requirement, replace NYSDOH's official checklist, guarantee compliance, or guarantee a review outcome.
The operational value is simpler: when your MLTC plan or reviewer asks for a current record, your staff has fewer disconnected places to search.
What Should New York SADC Providers Do Now?
Do not wait until the six-week scheduling email arrives. Start with the current NYSDOH resources and the requirements that apply to your center.
Review the current Preliminary Information Checklist with your MLTC plan. Make sure PCSP workflows reflect the 2026 requirements that apply to you. Organize current facility records. Preserve prior remediation evidence. Test whether important participant records can actually be retrieved by more than one staff member.
Most importantly, treat New York SADC compliance requirements as an ongoing operational process rather than an annual document scramble.
A good SADC compliance review 2026 workflow should make current documentation easier to maintain every day, not merely easier to assemble when NYSDOH schedules a review.
If your team is still piecing together participant records from paper attendance, separate forms, spreadsheets, and disconnected billing files, see Adult Day Genie in a 15-minute walkthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are New York SADC compliance reviews conducted every year?
Yes. NYSDOH states that all SADCs contracted with MLTC plans must be reviewed annually to verify ongoing compliance with applicable state and federal requirements.
How much notice does an SADC receive before a compliance review?
NYSDOH currently sends the scheduling request to the MLTC plan about six weeks in advance. The MLTC plan must then coordinate with the SADC and respond to the Department.
What is the SADC Compliance Review Preliminary Information Checklist?
It is a NYSDOH resource listing documents and information for MLTC plans to submit to the Department for the applicable SADC compliance-review year. The current checklist was released February 6, 2026.
What SADC compliance review documents should a provider keep ready?
Providers should follow the current NYSDOH checklist and MLTC instructions. Operationally, member information, current PCSPs, requested supporting documentation, applicable site records, and prior remediation evidence should be organized and retrievable.
What happens when an SADC fails part of the compliance review?
NYSDOH may require the MLTC plan and SADC to develop a remediation plan describing how identified areas of non-compliance will be corrected. Proof that remediation was implemented may later be requested.
This article provides operational information, not legal, billing, or compliance advice. New York SADC providers should confirm current requirements with NYSDOH, their contracted MLTC plans, applicable Medicaid rules, contracts, and qualified professional advisers.