ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor Kathy Hochul's visit to Crossgates Mall on Tuesday began with a public standoff over changes to the administration of the Consumer Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
Located just outside Albany, the governor stopped by the mall for an event promoting a new inflation rebate proposal aimed at easing economic pressure on New Yorkers.
CDPAP allows people with disabilities to hire a caregiver of their choice, often a family member or trusted aide, and serves approximately 250,000 seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities. .
On October 1, the Governor announced that a Georgia-based company, Public Partnership LLC (PPL), would take over administration of the program on behalf of the approximately 600 companies currently involved.
In front of news cameras, disability rights advocate Julie Farrar confronted the governor and argued that the review would ultimately harm the services CDPAP consumers rely on.
The state says the changes are intended to prevent fraud, but critics like Farrar say they could lead to service disruptions.
“My biggest fear is that it becomes just a commoditization of services. It's this formula of managing services and trying to manage all the components that you used to be able to manage. It will be a different approach,” Farrar said in an exclusive article. Hours after the heated exchange with the governor, an interview with CBS6's Brianna Spaldi. ”
He also expressed concern that the transition would create issues that could disrupt services.
“Maybe your paycheck will be delayed, you'll have a little hiccup, your bank information won't be routed properly,” she said.
Current eligible CDPAP consumers can begin transitioning to PPL starting January 6, 2025. To continue receiving services under the program, your transition must occur by March 28, 2025. PPL will officially take over the management of CDPAP in April 2025.
The Home Care Protection Alliance, a coalition of home care companies, is lobbying against the reforms, arguing that the transition would be rushed and could harm vital services.
“These New Yorkers are just a few of the hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people whose lives are at risk due to PPL and their history of reckless mismanagement,” said Alliance Defending Home Care. said Brian O'Malley, Executive Director. “We will ensure that Governor Hochul and our elected officials hear these testimonies and understand exactly what is at stake. New York cannot be allowed to become another PPL disaster. yeah.”
A state spokesperson dismissed those concerns as misinformation.
“The Governor understands how important CDPAP is to New Yorkers, and this process will ensure that CDPAP home care recipients and their caregivers are protected. Unethical business owners who offer “It's very unfortunate that they're spreading blatant lies to convince vulnerable New Yorkers that they're losing access to home health care, which is of course completely false, and that these shady intermediaries are is pushing a campaign of lies to continue expanding its profits at the expense of the people. “Our reforms will protect home health care for New Yorkers, and we look forward to delivering a stronger CDPAP through a statewide partnership that takes effect in April 2025,” a spokesperson for the Governor's Office said. Sam Spokony said.
Spokony added that reform is needed because CDPAP spending has nearly quadrupled in recent years, reaching more than $9 billion last year, and CDPAP is becoming financially unsustainable.
