CDPAP | Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Program | New York | Long Island

January 04, 2023   1149

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What is the CDPAP?

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, commonly referred to as CDPAP,  is a statewide Medicaid program that provides an alternative way of receiving home care services. The individual receiving care - known as the Consumer - has complete freedom to choose who is hired to be their caregiver and total flexibility to direct how care is provided.  Rather than assigning a home care agency to control selection, training, and scheduling of aides, the Consumer or the family member, friend or guardian directing his/her care performs all these functions.  All State counties - and now all mainstream Managed Care and Managed Long Term Care plans - are required to have a CDPAP program and notify “eligible individuals” of the option to join.  Eligible individuals include those eligible for  services provided by a certified home health agency, a long term home health care (waiver) program,  AIDS home care program, or personal care (home attendant). Click here for a list of counties where we support the CDPAP program.

What are the Eligibility Requirements to Enroll in the CDPAP Program?

To participate in the CDPAP, a consumer must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

1. Be eligible for medical assistance;
2. Be eligible for long term care and services provided by a certified home health agency, long term home health care program or an AIDS home care program authorized pursuant to Article 36 of the Public Health Law; or for personal care services or private duty nursing services;
3. Have a stable medical condition;
4. Be self-directing or, if non self-directing, have a designated representative;
5. Need some or total assistance with one or more personal care tasks, home health aide tasks or skilled nursing tasks;
6. Be willing and able to fulfill the consumer's responsibilities or have a designated representative who is willing and able to fulfill such responsibilities; and
7. Participate as needed, or have a designated representative who participates, in the required assessment and reassessment processes.

What are the Responsibilities of a CDPAP Consumer or their Designated Representative?

A consumer or, if applicable, the consumer's designated representative has the following responsibilities under the CDPAP:

1. Managing the plan of care including recruiting and hiring a sufficient number of individuals to provide authorized services that are included on the consumer's plan of care; training, supervising and scheduling each personal assistant; and assuring that each consumer directed personal assistant competently and safely performs the personal care tasks, home health aide tasks and skilled nursing tasks that are included on the consumer's plan of care; terminating the personal assistant's employment;
2. Timely notifying the social services district of any changes in the consumer's medical condition or social circumstances including, but not limited to, any hospitalization of the consumer or change in the consumer's address, telephone number or employment;
3. Timely notifying the fiscal intermediary of any changes in the employment status of each consumer directed personal assistant;
4. Attesting to the accuracy of each consumer directed personal assistant's time sheets;
5. Transmitting the consumer directed personal assistant's time sheets to the fiscal intermediary according to its procedures;
6. Timely distributing each consumer directed personal assistant's paycheck, if needed;
7. Arranging and scheduling substitute coverage when a consumer directed personal assistant is temporarily unavailable for any reason; and
8. Entering into the Department approved CDPAP Agreement between the LDSS and the Consumer/Designated Representative with the social services district that describes the parties' responsibilities under the CDPAP.

CDPAP Personal Assistant (PA) Eligibility Requirements

Almost any relative, friend or neighbor qualifies to become a Personal Assistant - commonly referred to as the PA - for which they are paid a salary to provide care for the Consumer. Personal assistants are not eligible from being hired as CDPAP assistants if they are legally responsible for the eligible individual’s care and support. This means that an adult who is not legally responsible for the eligible individual’s care and support may be a CDPAP assistant for that eligible individual. In particular, this means that a parent of an adult child (21 years of age or older) may serve as that adult child’s CDPAP assistant. Parents of children who are younger than 21 cannot be hired as that minor child’s CDPAP assistant. Consistent with current regulations, spouses and designated representatives also cannot be hired as CDPAP assistants. 

Any other adult relative of the CDPAP eligible individual may serve as the individual’s CDPAP assistant. In all cases, the CDPAP authorization is based on the eligible individual’s assessed needs. This applies regardless of whether the CDPAP assistant is a parent or other adult relative of the individual or not related to the individual. 

Examples of CDPAP Personal Assistant Responsibilities

• bathing
• dressing
• grooming
• eating
• transferring
• ambulating
• toileting

• housekeeping
• laundry
• meal planning and preparation
• managing finances
• shopping and errands

How Much Do I Get Paid As A CDPAP Caregiver?

ProLife Home Care strives to provide maximum CDPAP caregiver wages. Follow the link for a guide to New York State CDPAP caregiver regional wages.

Email team@prolifehc.com to inquire what the maximum pay rate for your county is. Or call 718-232-2777 to speak with a program specialist. 

 

Important Changes Every CDPAP Consumer & PA Must Know

ProLife has been awarded as a Lead Fiscal Intermediary for the CDPAP!  Effective 2023, (or later) New York will end operational support for a majority of the Fiscal Intermediaries servicing the program. Call 718-232-2777 right away if your current FI sent you a letter indicating they are not a Lead Fiscal Intermediary or are discontinuing program support. To see the full list of Lead FI awardees click here.

All existing CDPAP Consumers must transfer to a Lead Fiscal Intermediary awarded by the State.  Likewise, new Consumers must enroll with one of the awardees. 

Call ProLife Home Care today tel:(718) 232-2777 or email team@prolifehc.com to speak with one of our CDPAP specialists for answers to all your questions regarding CDPAP enrollment, CDPAP eligibility (Consumer or Personal Assistant), CDPAP Consumer requirements, or the CDPAP application. We will help you with every step of the process whether transitioning from your current provider or enrolling for the first time.