Albany, NY - Amy Paulin, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee today called on the Governor and her administration to help ensure New York’s elderly and disabled CDPAP clients continue to receive their current care, by fixing all the transition issues.

The State’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is switching to a new, single statewide Fiscal Intermediary (FI). The State awarded the FI contract to Public Partnership LLC (PPL), which has been working to switch over the hundreds of FIs which exist under the current system and serve New York’s disabled, elderly and most vulnerable residents.

If the current consumers and caregivers do not register with PPL by April 1, they will no longer be served and employed by CDPAP. If this happens, CDPAP clients will lose their caregivers. CDPAP clients for the most part cannot care for themselves without assistance.

“The Governor should investigate and certify that the CDPAP transition slated for April 1 is on track and that these vital services will be continued for all qualified individuals,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “If the DOH and PPL are not ready – please fix the transition. The stakes are too high not to do so.”

“My office has continually heard from advocates, health plans and clients themselves that the transition is not going well,” continued Assemblywoman Paulin. “The numbers on the DOH website indicate that they have over 150,000 clients still left to join PPL. The number of personal assistants signed up is still a mystery. Many clients have more than one personal assistant and PPL has been unable to disclose how many are payroll-ready for April 1. We are less than 30 days away from the deadline and this is extremely disconcerting. Rather than wait until April 1 to find out how many residents will be left without care, let’s fix the problems and ensure that none of the CDPAP clients, who we know cannot care for themselves without assistance, are left without the help they need.”

“The CDPAP has been the victim of many bad actors recently,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “The current fiscal intermediaries that do not have the clients’ interests at heart should be subject to harsh penalties and exclusion from the Medicaid program forever.

“CDPAP reform was a big part of the 2024-25 final state budget,” continued Paulin. “Both legislative majorities voted for it on the promise that it would not put any clients in jeopardy. We need to hold to this promise we made to New Yorkers. A fix is needed to resolve what could become an absolute crisis. CDPAP clients cannot live without their caregiver’s help.”

Lindsay Miller, Executive Director, New York Association on Independent Living (NYAIL) said "By all accounts, the State's transition to a Single Fiscal Intermediary will not be anywhere near complete by April 1st. Independent Living Centers are experiencing this firsthand in their role as Facilitators, working tirelessly to support consumers and their personal assistants throughout the process. Given that the current statute calls on the State to effectively fire the current CDPAP home care network, consumers will have no recourse to the care and assistance they need, and their workers will be out of a job, come April 1.