SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – New York State Legislators described The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, as a program that provides critical home care services to over 70,000 people across the state. This program allows people in need to hire loved ones as personal aids. The financial reform that has been set to be implemented in September will force many of these consumers to find alternatives for care, including institutionalization.
Zach Petrie, compliance officer at Self Direct Inc., has seen first-hand how CDPAP provides real value to those in need, and shared a 20-year-old’s heartbreaking story to illustrate this.
“He ended up falling down the stairs, breaking his neck, became a quadriplegic,” Petrie said. “His mom had to retire early, dad had to retire early, to keep him at home because he was 24 hour around the clock service”
Third-party companies, known as fiscal intermediaries, or FIs, which provide administrative assistance to the consumers, are also facing massive cuts.
“They have made it pretty clear that the program is going to be leaving,” Petrie said. “They are going to start making drastic changes again where the cutbacks are happening, and I think it is almost forcing FIs to not be a part of the future.”
One source estimated a 90% reduction of FIs if these funding cuts were to be implemented. Fiscal Intermediaries play a pivotal role in this program as they handle all payroll, and help the consumer manage their personal aids. If FIs are no longer able to stay in business, the entire program will be in jeopardy.
State lawmakers are fighting to push the deadline back to at least January. They believe this will provide adequate time to develop and orchestrate a well-thought-out process, which will ensure a smooth transition to the new financial reimbursement model for this program.
