State Awards Contract for Statewide Fiscal Intermediary

(Oct. 1, 2024) On Sept. 30^th, Governor Hochul announced that the State has selected Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) to serve as the Statewide Fiscal Intermediary (FI) for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). The move to a single FI for the state will replace several hundred FIs currently in operation. PPL will work with four regional organizations and more than 30 home care agency partners to serve the approximately 250,000 New Yorkers who currently utilize the program.

The transition to a statewide administrator will take effect by mid-2025 and was enacted as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State Budget. Under the terms of the award, PPL will subcontract with regional partners throughout NY. Subject to State approval, this alliance is expected to include four core partners:

• Chinese American Planning Council, the lead regional partner for NYC, Long Island, and Westchester County
• Concepts of Independence, Inc., the lead regional partner for the Hudson Valley region including Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, and surrounding counties.
• Angels In Your Home, the lead regional partner for mid-state areas including Albany, Saratoga, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and surrounding counties.
• Consumer Directed Choices (CDChoices), the lead regional partner for upstate and southwestern areas including Allegany, Oswego, Hamilton, Clinton, and surrounding counties.

The award will also provide for a strategic partnership between PPL and an alliance of community-based providers. According to the press release, it will involve more than 30 different home care agencies active in NY's CDPAP that provide an array of multilingual, culturally sensitive care. The list of additional agencies participating in this strategic partnership alliance will be announced in the near future

According to the press release, CDPAP eligibility for home care users will not change, and individuals who receive care through the program will not need to reapply. The press release also indicates that PPL will be moving its national headquarters to NY and will create more than 1,200 jobs.

There are several court cases challenging the State’s move to a single statewide FI and recent changes which shift administrative reimbursement of the program to fee-for-service (FFS) from Managed Long Term Care (MLTC). On Sept. 30^th, an Albany County Supreme Court judge issued a decision in Corning Council for Assistance and Information for the Disabled v. McDonald, denying the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the statewide FI Request for Proposals (RFP) process. This is one of three cases challenging the statewide FI process.

In addition, Senator Gustavo Rivera has introduced legislation, S.9901, to replace the single statewide FI budget agreement with a licensure process, training requirements of personal assistants, a stakeholder advisory group, and a framework that allows for a reasonable FI network for community participation in the program.

The Governor is, nevertheless, initiating a comprehensive transition process focused on supporting CDPAP home care users and caregivers, which will include:

• direct in-person and virtual meetings with home care users and caregivers throughout the state.
• coordination with disability and older adult advocacy groups.
• open dialogue with elected officials across the state.
• ongoing review by State officials to ensure that the needs of home care users and caregivers are thoroughly addressed before the new statewide partnership takes effect.

Additionally, PPL stressed that the new statewide partnership will include a robust, multilingual, accessible communications plan that is focused on print, digital, and social media content to ensure that home care users and their families understand the CDPAP services available to them and make it easy for home care users to choose the appropriate caregiver for addressing their needs.