Click Here to Watch The Segment!
Steve Pehta, Director of Business Development at Trusted Choice Homecare, joined Good Day Rochester to discuss Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA). This program allows loved ones to be paid for taking care of family members at home and is currently facing challenges from New York State legislators.
“Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) is a Medicaid-funded program available in New York,” Pehta says. “It allows folks who need a little help around the house to hire paid caregivers from their friends or family.”
Trusted Choice Homecare serves as a mediator between CDPA and consumers.
“As the consumer is running their own small business, we are the HR backbone,” he says. “We make sure everything behind the scenes runs smoothly. We run payroll, maintaining employee compliance records, and ensuring there are not gaps in coverage.”
Pehta highlights the program’s dual benefits of providing home safety for consumers and increasing employment within the state.
“Not only does this help consumers feel safe at home, but it helps the state get more people working.”
Trusted Choice Homecare is now facing a political battle in Albany.
“A very scary bill just got passed,” Pehta says. “Our 600 fiscal intermediaries that do what we do; they’re specialized by disease, by geography, by ethnic background. The governor would like to move this to one single fiscal intermediary, and that will not work.”
This change followed a mini-bid process that lacked typical oversight protocols. Reducing from 600 existing FIs to a centralized model is set to transform service administration, potentially limiting the personalized nature of the CDPA program.
Impact on the CDPA Program
The consolidation poses several challenges:
- Service Disruption: Approximately 50,000 consumers might experience service disruptions, similar to difficulties observed in other states that have attempted similar consolidations.
- Caregiver Enrollment: Over 300,000 caregivers will need to transition and enroll with the new statewide FI, raising concerns about administrative bottlenecks and payment delays.
- Consumer Transition: More than 200,000 consumers will be required to move from their current FIs to the single state-appointed entity, which may cause disruptions and temporary loss of services.
Advice for Prospective Program Participants
For those interested in the CDPA program or affected by the recent changes, it’s crucial to approach the information critically:
Stay Informed. Verify information from reliable sources to avoid unnecessary panic and confusion.
Reach Out! Contact us directly for reliable information and assistance. Whether you are a new participant navigating the enrollment process or an existing member affected by the transition, we are here to help!
Recent Comments