SC New York News

Binghamton, NY – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today demanded Governor Kathy Hochul rescind her decision to reduce disability services in New York State through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Rep. Molinaro has been a consistent supporter of the program and has opposed plans to diminish it.

CDPAP allows individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses to have a family member or trusted friend as their caregiver. These caregivers can provide specialized services at home and receive reimbursement from Medicaid.

In Governor Hochul’s finalized Fiscal Year 2025 New York State budget, she cuts funding from the program and eliminates nearly all fiscal intermediaries (FI) jobs. These intermediaries provide patients and families with financial and administrative guidance to get the care that meets their needs.

In a letter to Governor Hochul, Rep. Molinaro criticized the plan: “FIs are an integral component of the CDPAP program and provide patients with the necessary financial and administrative supports to tailor their care to fit their needs. For years the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) ineffective regulations have allowed unethical providers to enter the program and exploit this service and our most vulnerable for their own financial gains. Instead of directing the DOH to utilize its authority to fix this situation, your elimination of all FI providers, including those that are disability-led and disability-staffed, jeopardizes thousands of jobs across the state and places yet another barrier for those with disabilities to overcome to lead fuller, more independent lives.”

The full text of Rep. Molinaro’s letter is as follows:

Dear Governor Hochul,

On March 11, 2024, I wrote to you outlining my concerns with your proposed changes to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) to eliminate designated representatives from acting on behalf of those whose disabilities prevent them from registering for the program and obtaining necessary services. With the FY25 New York State budget recently finalized, your inclusion of a provision requiring nearly all fiscal intermediaries (FI) to cease operations by April 1, 2025, and overhaul the entire CDPAP system under one statewide FI is an insult to the tens of thousands of New Yorkers that rely on the program and the independent-living centers (ILCs) that provide these services.

FIs are an integral component of the CDPAP program and provide patients with necessary financial and administrative supports tailored to their needs. For years, ineffective regulations by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) have allowed unethical providers into the program who exploit this service for financial gain at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens. Instead of directing DOH to use its authority to rectify this situation, your elimination of all FI providers—including those that are disability-led and disability-staffed—jeopardizes thousands of jobs across the state and places yet another barrier for those with disabilities striving for fuller, more independent lives.

Without FIs, CDPAP enrollees may lose access to critical community-level connections and supports that empower them in managing personalized home care. As a father of a child with a disability and a longtime advocate for individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, I seek answers to these questions:

1. How were voices from our disability community included in your decision-making process regarding eliminating FIs from CDPAP?

2. Given rising debt constraints on state resources responding effectively to vital needs, does New York State have capacity oversight for managing an entire FI system serving CDPAP enrollees?

3. What impact will consolidating FI services into one statewide system have on CDPAP enrollee services?

4. How will state support assist ILCs navigating FI service eliminations within CDPAP?

Given your commitment ensuring resources enabling greater independence among individuals with disabilities remain accessible; reconsideration working collaboratively alongside state lawmakers safeguarding intended operational integrity within CDPAP is urged.

Thank you for considering this important matter; timely response anticipated.