NEW YORK

New York State Department of Health

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a Medicaid program governed by Section 365-f of the New York State Social Services Law (SSL) and the implementing regulations under Section 505.28 of Title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations (NYCRR).

This program helps people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other long-term health conditions stay at home with their chosen care and services. They can employ people they choose as personal assistants (PAs).

Click below on the “Resources & Events” button to view our documents, event information and recordings.

Resources & Events

A list of approved facilitators will be posted shortly. Check back soon for updates!

Question: Is choice being eliminated with the CDPAP transition?

Answer: No. Consumers have choice of Personal Assistant (PA), which is an important component of consumer direction. Additionally, PPL will have facilitator partners that you can also choose from to receive support during the transition and ongoing.

Question: Do I have to move to PPL?

Answer: Yes. You and your Personal Assistant (PA) will need to transition to PPL before March 28, 2025. Please contact our support center starting on January 6^th and we will help you with your transition process. The support center contact number will be published here in early January.

Question: How do I find out if my current FI will be a CDPAP facilitator?

Answer:  Before year end, we will publish a list of the approved CDPAP facilitators on this webpage and how to contact them. We are also adding new partners and will update this page as partners are added.

Question: What do I do if my current FI is not an approved CDPAP facilitator?

Answer: No worries, we’ve got you covered.  Call or email us starting Jan 6^th and we will help you transition to PPL directly or through one of our approved CDPAP facilitators.  

Question: What is the role of the CDPAP Facilitator vs. PPL’s role?

Answer: PPL will be the CDPAP statewide Fiscal Intermediary (SFI) we are responsible for all fiscal intermediary functions including transition support for you and your PA, payroll processing, system training, compliance, ongoing customer service, and other functions.  While PPL will be able to support all your needs, we also have CDPAP facilitators available to assist you with some of these items such as customers service, transition assistance, and EVV support.

Question: Will you continue to work with Independent Living Centers (ILCs)?

Answer: Yes, we are currently planning to work with the ILCs.

Question: Are facilitators a temporary role for the CDPAP program?

Answer: Our intent is to establish long-term partnerships with our facilitator network.  PPL will monitor performance and adjust facilitators as needed to best support consumers and PAs. 

Question: How can an FI become a CDPAP facilitator? 

Answer: If you are an existing CDPAP FI in good standing, and you are interested in being part of PPL’s facilitator network, please send an email to nycdpap@pplfirst.com

Question: When will current FIs be notified of the transition and get the necessary information? 

Answer: The Department of Health has already issued guidance to current CDPAP fiscal intermediaries about the transition and what they need to do. The information can be found here.

Question: What is the benefit of working with a facilitator? How do I know if I should work with PPL directly or a facilitator? 

Answer: PPL or one of our partners can serve as your facilitator. Some of the reasons you might consider working with one of our partner facilitators is if you have an existing relationship with one as a previous FI, if their offices are in your area, or if they have specialty support for your needs. PPL can also be your facilitator. We can provide services in hundreds of languages, have experience working with specialty populations, and will have offices in all New York regions.

Question: When and how will we get information on the transition process?

Answer: Information about the transition was initially communicated during our first Info Session in Nov, and can be reviewed here. Additional information about the transition is regularly being added to our website. We will also send direct communications to consumers starting in January, and consumers and PAs can contact our support center starting on January 6^th to walk through the transition process. For consumers who prefer in-person support, in-person registration sessions will be available in multiple locations.

Question: When will I transition to a new FI?

Answer: Consumers and Personal Assistants can begin transition on Jan 6^th, 2025 and the transition will continue through March.  PPL will outreach to consumers in January and February, but consumers and PAs can also call us directly anytime starting on January 6^th.

Question: What options do I have to complete the transition?

Answer: We offer several options so you can determine what works best for you.  1) You can call or email us starting Jan. 6^th and we’ll walk through the process with you. 2) You can work with a CDPDP Facilitator in our approved network to complete the transition. 3) You can join an in-person option at PPL offices or Facilitator offices.  4) You can attend one of our registration session (click here to see our upcoming sessions).

Question: If I complete my transition before March 28^th, when will I start being paid by PPL?

Answer: In January 2025, we will post the pay schedule for the program.  If you transition before March 28^th, PPL will contact you to let you know your first service start date and first payroll date.

Question: What if my FI stops working with CDPAP before the transition date?

Answer: For managed care members, your managed care plan will help you get support if your FI does not continue servicing you before the transition. For fee-for-service members, your Local Department of Social Services can assist you.

Question: Do I have to move to PPL? What are my options if I do not want to?

Answer: You and your PA will need to transition to PPL by March 28, 2025, but you or your designated representative do have the option of getting transition and ongoing support from either PPL or one of our facilitator partners.

Question: What if I don’t have home internet, or prefer to get in-person support?

Answer: We have several options for transitioning and working with PPL that don’t require internet access. Consumers and PAs may call our offices starting January 6, attend an in-person registration session in your area, or visit a PPL or facilitator office for support. A call-in option will also be available for signing in and out of work.

Question: What happens if consumers don’t transition by March 28?

Answer: All current and eligible CDPAP consumers must transition to PPL by March 28 in order to continue receiving services under the program.

Question: If my paperwork and my personal assistant’s paperwork is completed early, can we transition before March 28?

Answer: Yes, if you transition before March 28, PPL will contact you to let you know your first service start date and first payroll date. If you complete the process before March 1, you and your personal assistant can start services with PPL on March 1.

Question: Can’t PPL get my enrollment documents from my current FI so that I don’t have to redo everything?

Answer: We’ll collect as much information as possible during the transition. However, some documents will need to be updated, and if your current FI is not able to provide your documents to us, we will ask you for the information so that your transition is seamless. And if you are currently working with one of our CDPAP facilitators, you can continue working with them as normal and they will help you with the paperwork.

Question: Will this FI transition change my current services?

Answer: No. As a result of this transition, you will be changing FIs, but your authorized services under the program continue as is.

Question: I’m a personal assistant, will my benefits and compensation change?

Answer: Information about personal assistant compensation and benefits will be provided during the transition process, starting on Jan 6, 2025.  Competitive compensation and benefits will be offered.

Question: I’m a personal assistant, will I be able to work overtime?

Answer: Overtime is sometimes necessary to ensure services are provided timely. We will work with your consumer to ensure they continue to have the personal assistant support they need.

Question: Who determines the pay rate for the personal assistants?

Answer: PPL will determine the pay rates based on where the consumer is located.  The pay rates will be shared during the transition process.

Question: What trainings will I be required to complete as a personal assistant?

Answer: Trainings will be available within our PPL@Home system.  A full list of the trainings as well as access to complete them will be clearly outlined when the PA logs into the system.  There is no cost to the PA to complete these trainings online.  We offer training sessions online or in-person at one of our offices. We will offer a grace period for PAs to complete certain trainings after April 2025.  PAs will be able to view on PPL@Home which trainings can be completed after this transition or they can call us to talk through the timing.  

Question: I’m a personal assistant, why do I need to redo all their trainings and forms?

Answer: Since PPL will become your employer, there are some trainings and forms you’ll need to complete. When you transition to PPL, our support agents will let you know which trainings and forms are needed for your situation and when they must be completed. You will still get direction from your consumer as your co-employer, and your consumer will inform you of your schedule, hours authorized, how to provide service, and other specific details regarding your caregiver responsibilities.

Questions: Do I have to redo my health assessment and who pays for it?

Answer: If you have already done your health assessment and it is not expired (health assessments are valid for one year), all we’ll need is documentation that you’ve completed it.  If you have an expired health assessment, PPL will help you get a new one and will cover the cost.

Questions: Will personal assistants be paid for trainings?

Answer: Yes, personal assistants will be compensated for training time.

Questions: Will PAs have to join a union?

Answer: Joining a union is entirely a personal decision made by the worker. It is not mandatory.

Question: I don’t know PPL, who are they and why should I trust them as an FI?

Answer: PPL is the leading FI for consumer directed services. We have been serving consumers and personal assistants for 25 years and work with 50 programs across 21 states. PPL is solely dedicated to consumer directed services and does not have other lines of business. Many of our employees have worked in consumer directed services for decades and our technology is the highest rated on the Google App and Apple App stores.

Question: How can an out-of-state company manage CDPAP services?

Answer: PPL will operate the CDPAP contract out of NY. We will open eight offices across the state and hire more than 1,200 people in New York. Additionally, PPL will move our national company headquarters to the New York / Albany area in the coming months. PPL has been working with NY’s Traumatic Brain Injury and Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Programs since 2011, and many of our existing PPL team members live in NY and have experience serving NY programs.

Question: Some media has reported issues with past PPL contracts, should I be concerned?

Answer: Certain opponents of the CDPAP transition have tried to cast doubt on the transition in any way possible. Sometimes that includes using resources to communicate information about PPL that is skewed and old. It’s important to know that PPL has been supporting consumer direction programs for 25 years. We have implemented more than 50 successful contracts in the past decade and are a highly capable FI.

Question: Why am I getting emails from PPL?

Answer: PPL has partnered with the New York Department of Health to ensure CDPAP consumers receive important information about the statewide fiscal intermediary transition. Consumer contact information was provided to PPL by the state strictly for this purpose.

Question: What languages do you serve?

Answer: PPL team members and our facilitator partners speak 40 different languages. We can provide information and services in hundreds of languages and dialects, including those identified by New York State’s Office of the Medicaid Inspector General as Limited English Proficient (LEP). These include Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Yiddish, Bangla, Haitian Creole, Korean, Arabic, Italian, French, Polish, and Urdu. Additionally, our website can translate information into over 130 languages and dialects, and our customer service agents have access to translation services covering more than 300 languages and American Sign Language.

Question: I would like to receive CDPAP services now before the transition to PPL. What do I do?

Answer: Information about receiving CDPAP services can be found on the NY Department of Health website. You can access it here.

Question: What is your EVV application and how does it work?

Answer: Our system, PPL@Home makes it easy to manage your information and time worked, whether online or on our EVV app, which is called Time4Care™. The system automatically checks that hours worked match up with your authorization so that your personal assistants get paid correctly. Our tools are built to meet all program requirements and give real-time updates on work shifts.

Question: Does your EVV app use GPS location?

Answer: Yes. GPS is enabled at clock in and clock out.

Question: What if I do not have reliable internet coverage in my area?

Answer: Our Time4Care application allows your PAs to clock in and out while in “offline” mode, and then load their time when they can connect to wifi.

Question: What will be available for consumers and personal assistants to learn your EVV application?

Answer: PPL provides EVV training to help people understand and follow EVV rules. This helps avoid errors in timekeeping and makes it easier for people to manage their services.

Question: I am interested in working at PPL. What do I need to do?

Answer: Please visit our CDPAP jobs webpage for information about positions we are recruiting for and how to apply.  We plan to hire 1200 employees in New York and are excited for you to join the team.