Popular home care program undergoing overhaul begins outreach to 250K New Yorkers

Some 250,000 New Yorkers who use a popular home health program are being notified of steps they need to take to keep receiving care amid a massive overhaul of the services.

The state is replacing the hundreds of intermediary or “go-between” companies that currently help run the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program with a single firm: Georgia-based Public Partnerships LLC, or PPL. The change comes despite multiple legal challenges, including a pending lawsuit filed by a competing home care company that calls the state’s selection process a “sham.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul says the overhaul will help eliminate waste from the $9 billion, publicly funded program without interrupting services for New Yorkers with chronic illnesses and disabilities who use it to hire caregivers. But some remain skeptical about the move — including a group that urged home care consumers to call PPL’s help line on Monday “to see if they’re ready for prime time.”

The group, Caring Majority Rising, asserted in a call-out for the action that PPL “doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to make this transition happen.” Ilana Berger, an organizer with the group, said she’s worried the timeline for the transition is too tight and that thousands of home care consumers could fall through the cracks.

PPL disputes that contention.

“These efforts aim to interfere with the transition process by undermining confidence in PPL and preventing people from getting support during a critical period,” Lacey Hautzinger, a spokesperson for the company, said in an email. “Despite these efforts, PPL remains steadfastly focused on making the transition as seamless as possible for consumers and [personal assistants].”

But a legal challenge filed this week by All-American Home Care, one of the firms being pushed out of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, could block key aspects of the state’s transition plan. All-American argued that the state Department of Health cannot require them to share clients’ personal information with PPL because it would violate their federal privacy rights. The company also argued the health department doesn’t have the authority to require them to send out specific communications about the transition to the home care consumers or personal assistants on their roster.

On Wednesday, a State Supreme Court judge temporarily blocked the health department from requiring All-American to take those actions.

Sam Spokony, a spokesperson for the governor, pointed out that the preliminary injunction just applies to this specific company and said it is based on “invalid claims.” But critics say this decision creates broader uncertainty around the legality of the state’s plan.

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program has grown dramatically in recent years. The program allows New Yorkers in need of help with tasks such as eating and bathing to choose their own caregivers — including friends or family members, if desired. That personal assistant then receives Medicaid-funded training and paychecks from a company that contracts with the state, known as a fiscal intermediary.

Marlene Fedin, an Upper West Sider who uses a wheelchair, says her personal assistant has worked with her for 10 years and helps her with daily tasks like grocery shopping and taking a shower.

Fedin said her main concern is whether her aide will be able to maintain her current pay and benefits after the transition. “There’s not a lot of information out there,” she said.

PPL’s Hautzinger said each aide’s pay will be shared with them directly and will depend on the region of the state they work in and the specific services their client receives.

Starting Monday, PPL began contacting New Yorkers who use the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program to inform them that they will have to switch to PPL from their current fiscal intermediary. Here’s what home care consumers and workers need to know.

What is the timeline for the transition?

Everyone who uses the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program will have to make the switch to PPL by March 28. But many of those affected have yet to be contacted about the changes. Outreach will happen in phases, according to PPL’s website.

Home care consumers in some counties outside of New York City will be prompted to make the change starting on Jan. 6. Outreach to New Yorkers in the five boroughs and on Long Island will start on Feb. 10.

Do home care consumers have to wait for PPL to contact them to make the switch?

No, home care consumers and personal assistants who want to proactively make the change can contact PPL’s customer support center at 833-247-5346 or initiate the process online.

What will happen to the companies that currently run the program?

Some of the existing fiscal intermediaries will continue to operate and work with PPL as regional “facilitators.” They will be available to help home care consumers make the switch to PPL and will continue to provide customer service once the transition is completed.

The list of facilitators — along with the areas they serve and the languages their operators speak — is available online.

Will there be extra paperwork?

PPL says on its website it will seek to get as much information as possible from a consumer’s existing fiscal intermediary, but may have to reach out directly to consumers or their caregivers for additional information.

How do I sign up for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program?

Those who are new to the program and want to start receiving services or sign up to be personal assistants can register with PPL starting on March 1.

Those who want to find out if they’re eligible to receive home care services through Medicaid can request an assessment from the New York Independent Assessor Program.

This article has been updated with new information about litigation surrounding the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misattributed a comment from the Hochul administration about the preliminary injunction.