Rockland Reporter

Senator Bill Weber has signed on to two letters calling for no cuts to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).

The 2024-2025 budget approved by Governor Hochul included shifting the CDPAP program to a single statewide fiscal intermediary (FI), which will result in a lesser quality of care for vulnerable New Yorkers who are chronically ill and physically disabled. At the same time, between 600-700 FIs, who employ more than 10,000 New Yorkers, will be shut down, adding to more job loss in New York State.

“This is not a partisan issue. The individuals and families in Rockland County who rely daily on the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program should not have their continuity of care jeopardized because of the failure of the Department of Health to adequately manage this vital program. It is imperative that the horrible change to a single, statewide fiscal intermediary is reversed immediately to protect our most vulnerable,” stated Senator Bill Weber, Ranking Member of Senate Disabilities Committee. “These cuts need to be reversed and the State Comptroller’s oversight needs to be restored,” Weber added.

The first letter, addressed to Governor Hochul, states: "We write to you on behalf of the New York State Senate Republican Conference to urgently call on you to reverse the planned cuts to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) as outlined in the state’s 2024-2025 budget. Additionally, we strongly urge the restoration of the Comptroller’s oversight to ensure that any modifications to this critical program are made with full transparency and accountability.”

The second letter, addressed to the Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services states: "We are writing to bring to your attention the imminent and large-scale disruption in care that will arise from recently enacted changes to New York State’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). These changes will significantly restrict access to care for over 250,000 New Yorkers who are enrolled in this vital program…New York State (“the State”) plans to restrict the choice of CDPAP participants to a single, Statewide Fiscal Intermediary (“SFI”), eliminating choice and creating uncertainty for consumers.”

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