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CDPAP FI Transition: 2 New Lawsuits filed, Paper Timesheets OK'd til May 17th; Preliminary Injunction allows Prior FI to Pay PAs in Some Cases28 Apr, 2025
All CDPAP CONSUMERS must be enrolled with PPL by May 15, 2025 & their AIDES must Fully Register with PPL by June 6, 2025 (from extension granted by Preliminary Injunction - see below).
Background. The 2024-25 NYS Budget requires all 280,000 Medicaid recipients who have CDPAP services to switch their "Fiscal Intermediary" (FI") -- the agency that manages payroll and benefits for their Personal Assistants ("PA")-- to a new "single FI" called Public Partnerships LLC or "PPL." FI's have contracts with MLTC plans, mainstream managed care plans, and -- for those exempt from managed care -- county Dept. of Social Services (HRA in NYC). The plans or DSS decide the number of hours of home care, and the FI pays the PA. As the "single FI," PPL will replace the more than 600 FIs that currently handle payroll and benefits for all PAs in CDPAP. The deadline for both consumers and PAs to finish registration with PPL was originally March 28, 2025 for PPL to take over all CDPAP services on April 1, 2025. Under the Preliminary Injuncction issued April 10, 2025, consumers have until May 15th to register, and PAs must fully register by June 6th. PAs may in some cases get paid by their former FI. See more below. This is rapidly changing information - Please check back here for changes and also check the websites here and https://nylag.org/engesser/ for news. 1. LATEST STATUS UPDATES about PPL TRANSITIONUPDATE April 28, 2025: Two lawsuits have been filed in federal court on behalf of CDPAP Personal Assistants (PA), claiming PPL has committed wage theft by failing to pay regular wages and overtime on time or at all, or correctly, in violation of federal and state Labor Laws -- since PPL took over CDPAP on April 1, 2025. Each case covers PAs in a different region of the state.
Legal Aid release has this message about a survey for PAs in this downstate region of NYS. "If you are a PPL personal care assistant who has not been paid on time — or at all, please fill out this survey so that we can learn more about the problems people are having." The Preliminary Injunction in NYLAG's Engesser lawsuit remains in effect. See NYLAG Frequently Asked Questions about this injunction, and see the State's guidance implementing it here. See webpage about lawsuit here. CALL or email STATE HOTLINE 833-947-8666 or StatewideFI@health.ny.gov for problems and other complaint lines here. Blanket exception allowing use of paper timesheets extended through May 17, 2025. On April 25, 2025, PPL extended the blanket exception for Personal Assistants to use paper timesheets if they cannot log their time in Time4Care, PPL@Home, or by using the PPL Telephony system (which are all only in English). This means that Personal Assistants can use paper timesheets if needed until May 17, 2025. The paper timesheet can be found here (fill-in-able version here). See more here for how to complete and submit paper timesheets. If you are able to accurately log hours on Time4Care, PPL@Home, or Telefony now, you should do so rather than using a paper timesheet. After this blanket exemption ends on May 17, all Personal Assistants will be required to use an electronic visit verification system (Time4Care, PPL@Home, or Telefony). If you continue to have difficulty with these systems, please call PPL at 1-833-247-5346 (English)(See numbers for other languages here) or the NYS Department of Health at 1-833-947-8666 or StatewideFI@health.ny.gov so that these issues can be fixed before May 17. PPL has posted some guides on how to use the timekeeping apps and portal - on the PPL NY website - click on PROGRAM DOCUMENTS on the left, and scroll down to Trainings & How to Guides and Time4Care. In How to Manage Time with PPL, note some complicated rules, especially pp. 5-7. How PA MAY REQUEST EXCEPTION TO USE TIMESHEETS AFTER May 17th. If a Personal Assistant will have an ongoing need to use a paper timesheet beyond May 17 – for instance, as a religious exception or in an area where the use of Time4Care or telephony is not reliable – there is a process to request an individualized exception to use paper timesheets. PPL's NY CDPAP Paper Timesheet Exception Form NEW is here (Fillable version here). PPL’s description of the timesheet exception process can be found in this document at page 5 (this is the How to Manage Time with PPL Guide that can be found in PROGRAM DOCUMENTS on PPL website)(Espanol). If you will need one of these ongoing individual exceptions, we recommend that you make your request now so that it can be processed before May 17. The Exception Form must be faxed to PPL at 1-844-244-4384 or e-mailed to nycdpap@pplfirst.com or mailed to Public Partnerships LLC PO Box 310, Binghamton, NY 13902.
APRIL 18th UPDATE: April 17th was PPL’s second official pay day. Caring Majority Rising is continuing to monitor things closely and asks for PA's to respond to this survey to find out whether they were paid. Results of their first survey are posted here. See in recent PRESS below many reports of PAs not being paid. On the same day, consumers Jose Hernandez and Jaiza Tejera confronted the DOH Commissioner at a conference sponsored by EmblemHealth on improving access to health care in NYS see it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
On Apr. 14, Politico reported that a recent survey of 327 PAs by Caring Majority Rising, a disability advocacy group between Thursday and Saturday found that 70 percent of the workers surveyed didn’t get paid on time, and 72 percent of workers who were paid received the wrong amount in their paycheck. The survey also found that 45 percent of respondents still can’t clock in the hours they worked. (Politico NY Health Newsletter 4/14/25) The survey results are posted here Consumers and caregivers posted a video reporting difficulties with registering for and using PPL systems. You can skip to any of the following testimonies at these links: Tara Murphy, Albany–area caregiver “I got a pay stub in the mail for $0 for an EVV training…PPL is supposed to save money. And it's severe mismanagement and a gross waste of funds to print pay stubs for $0 and send checks for $0 to how many people? It's absolutely disgusting…. I wasn't paid by PPL this week. I don't know if I'm going to be paid by the PPL…And if I don't make that payment next week, I lose my car.” Dawn Meany, Long Island-area caregiver “I made 19 phone calls with only zero being returned. I had six emails to PPL never returned. I have not received a paycheck….The anxiety it has caused him because he lost three staff members is insane. I have become his 24-7 care person because I couldn't get anybody else approved. I couldn’t even get him approved.” Kim Conway, Long Island-area CDPAP user “Now, this week is a whole different story. None of my overnight aides are being paid for their shifts. They work 12 or 16 hour shifts. Every one of them has been denied…At this point, unfortunately, I chose for my own and my aides' sanity and financially, we chose to have to move over to PCA services. And as of Monday, I'm no longer in the CDPAP program.” Heather Burroughs, Rochester-area CDPAP user “Everybody's paperwork has been in for almost two months at this point. But guess what? Out of nine caregivers, one got paid. One, this pay period….This is quite literally the only program that my daughter qualifies for that can save her life. The only other option is to move her into a nursing home or a group home.” Rebekah MacNeill, Rochester-area caregiver “I love this job so much, truly. I feel like this was my passion. I feel like this is what God put me on the earth to do is to help people. And it's devastating that I might have to walk away from this job just because this is happening….It's sad that this is happening in 2025. We're fighting for civil rights here….it makes me tear up because these are people and we're not treating them like they're people.” Friday April 10- 11, 2025 - Judge Block signed a Preliminary Injunction and NYLAG posted this Frequently Asked Questions about it. The court injunction can be downloaded here. See press articles here about the injunction. Paper timesheets that can be used through April 26, 2025 for those PAs unable to use the TIme4Care PPL app. Use this paper timesheet or this updated fill-able version. See these PPL instructions. Fax to 1-844-244-4384 or by email to NYCDPAP_TS@pplfirst.com. (There is also a physical mailing address listed on the form.)
Unfortunately, myriad barriers to PAs getting paid are happening. see 4/11/2025 News 10 NBC ‘Glitch after glitch’: Families of New Yorkers with disabilities say new CDPAP payment system is a ‘mess’. On April 4th, the NYS Dept. of Health provided instructions for CDPAP Personal Assistants who are unable to report their work hours. This information is now posted at https://nylag.org/engesser/ and copied below. April 4, 2025 Instructions from the State
See here for earlier history of and temporary orders issued in the Engesser lawsuit and roll-out of PPL. NYS DOH REPORT ON NUMBER TRANSITIONED - 4/14/25 -- NYS Dept. of Health announced in a press release on 4/14/25 that 216,000 of 220,000 CDPAP consumers have "either started or completed the registration process with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL)," of which more than 190,000 have completed registration.
2. Where Does Consumer or PA Go if They have Problems with Transition?
TTY Relay Service: 711 Website: icannys.org ican@cssny.org
2c. WEBSITES with FAQ's and Guidance about CDPAP SIngle FI - and Link to View Recording of NYLAG Webinar of March 10th
3. LATEST PRESS (some is behind paywall)April 25-28, 2025 - Press coverage of two new lawsuits filed on behalf of personal assistants, challenging wage theft and Labor Law violations by PPL. See here. April 28, 2025 WTEN ABC News 10 Albany: “NYS extends paper timesheet deadline for CDPAP personal assistants” and online video version of story April 28, 2025 Albany Times-Union CDPAP glitches continue with pay errors, lapsed health insurance April 28, 2025 NY FOCUS Home Health Aides Are Getting New Insurance Coverage — From a Company With a History of Cutting It Off April 28, 2025 McKnight's Home Care NY lawmakers to refine CDPAP through legislation April 26, 2025 Fingerlakes1.com: “CDPAP paper timesheet deadline extended to May 17 April 25, 2025 WTEN (ABC) - Albany “News10 at 11PM” (on extension of use of paper timesheets) April 22, 2025 New10 ABC Albany Home care workers still concerned over paychecks from new company April 22, 2025 Spectrum News Lawmakers eye intervention in home care transition 'hiccups' April 22, 2025 (updated) WIVB-TV (CBS) News 4 Buffalo "Call 4 Action inundated with complaints on NY’s CDPAP system April 21, 2025 WHEC-TV NBC News 10 – Rochester, NY: “Governor: NYS and PPL working through “hiccups” in new CDPAP system" April 21,2025 CRAIN"S NY Business Around 130,000 Workers Have been Paid Amid State Consolidation (paywall) - Paychecks issued to 130,000 workers - just over half of the 250,000 workers who have started the transition, and 80% of the workers who completed the transition. PPL "..issued paychecks to a fraction of caregivers in its first two weeks of operation...." article cites data in PPL's own press release. Excerpt:"... 'The payment challenges and current spending on workers' wages indicate that the state is far behind on its transition,' said Michael Kinnucan, health policy director at the think tank Fiscal Policy Institute. 'PPL has issued $120 million in paychecks for the first two weeks of the program; a figure that, extended to a year, would total $3 billion – less than a third of what the state pays on the home care program now,' he said. 'Considering that some people have left the program, the company’s bi-weekly costs should add up to around $260 million,' Kinnucan said."They are paying a lot less than that,' he added, representing a "very large failure" to pay people." April 20, 2025 Albany Times Union OPINION DeWitt: 'Hochul can do better' with CDPAP -- For clients and caregivers, the changeover isn't a technical matter. It touches their lives and their livelihoods. EXCERPT: "... In New York politics, there’s always a union angle, and PPL has a friendly history with the health care workers union SEIU, where it has not impeded the unionization of home care workers in other states. New York’s 1199 SEIU backs the transition, saying it will save money. The union is always seeking new categories of members. It has also helped make or break New York governors’ careers. Hochul, who is faring poorly in the polls, is up for reelection next year. The deal gave recipients and their caregivers a short window to transition to PPL, between January and April 1. Only around half made it in time. Farrar, and numerous other disabled people who have documented their struggles, liken the chaos — phone calls unanswered, paperwork submissions unacknowledged — to DOGE-like federal policies. Lolli Edinger, who lives in Ulster County, is a caregiver for a man who has quadriplegia. She is among several aides who say they were shorted money in their first paychecks — a potential violation of the state’s labor laws. She earns barely above minimum wage and is having “panic attacks.” “A missed paycheck means we can’t pay the rent, buy groceries or cover transportation to continue providing care,” Edinger said. April 18. 2025 WIVB News 4 Buffalo: “Call 4 Action inundated with complaints on NY’s CDPAP system “ - also “News 4 at 4pm” April 18, 2020 RochesterFirst.com - WROC-TV 8 (CBS) - Rochester, NY Local caregivers report delays with CDPAP payments since transition to new fiscal intermediary April 18, 2025 FOX5NY Outcry after death of disability rights leader Jensen Caraballo -- DOH denies any connection between his death and the PPL transition because he died several weeks before April 1, 2025, but advocates who knew him maintain that PA's quit during the run-up to April 1st because of problems with registering with PPL and fear of not getting paid. His friends related that he chose not to call 911 when he was alone without assistance because he feared a hospital would transfer him to a nursing home -- which he refused to go back to, having lived in one for many year before successfully fighting to live in the community with CDPAP services. April 18, 2025 - NEWS 10 'It's just wrong': Caregivers' personal information exposed in troubled rollout of New York's new CDPAP system - WHEC.com April 18, 2025 New York NOW PBS - Full episode here and clip of segment with Sen. Gustavo Rivera talking about the CDPAP transition and PPL's health insurance plans for PAs April 18, 2025 Home Health Care News: “New York Consumers, Home Care Workers Protest CDPAP “ April 17, 2025 Albany Times-Union Commentary: For independent living centers, CDPAP is about care, not money By Lindsay Miller, Executive Director of the New York Association on Independent Living. April 17, 2025 Fingerlakes1.com: “CDPAP Transition Deadline Extended After Legal Push by Disability Advocates “ April 16, 2025 WCNY (NPR – Albany) Capitol Press Room: “Consumer directed home care program enters new chapter “ April 16, 2025 WXXI News NPR Disabilities Beat: Court sets new deadlines, changes for CDPAP transition (interview with Elizabeth Jois, NYLAG attorney that was conducted prior to preliminary injunction) Apt. 15, 2025 WHEC (NBC) - Rochester: “Desperate for help: Caregivers flood local disability rights center amid issues with New York's new payment system” Apr.. 15 , 2025 QNS (Queens Courier community newspapers): “Judge extends CDPAP registration deadline to May 15 following Liu’s push” Also published on New York Politics Aptr. 15th Crain’s New York Business: “30,000 CDPAP recipients missed re-enrollment deadline “ [paywalled] Apr. 15th Buffalo News: “New deadlines, old anguish part of saga for home care program in New York State “ [paywalled] Apr. 14, 2025 Politico - Recent survey of 327 PAs by Caring Majority Rising, a disability advocacy group between Thursday and Saturday found that 70 percent of the workers surveyed didn’t get paid on time, and 72 percent of workers who were paid received the wrong amount in their paycheck. The survey also found that 45 percent of respondents still can’t clock in the hours they worked. (Politico NY Health Newsletter 4/14/25) Apr. 14, 2025 WRGB (CBS) - Albany, NY: “CDPAP update: NYSDOH with 87% consumer registration reported, counter rally planned Monday Apr. 13, 2025 New York Post: “Hochul’s homecare program havoc leaves workers unpaid as federal court steps in “ by Vaughn Golden, April 13, 2025 Apr. 13, 2025 Fox 5 New York: “New York CDPAP: Some caregivers aren't getting paid “ April 11, 2025 FOX 5 New York: “Caregivers say NY's CDPAP program is failing them “ 4/11/2025 News 10 NBC ‘Glitch after glitch’: Families of New Yorkers with disabilities say new CDPAP payment system is a ‘mess’ 4/11/2025 Crain's Health Pulse State agrees to delay deadline for contentious home care consolidation (behind paywall) 4/11/25 Albany Times-Union: “DOJ has ‘significant concerns’ as CDPAP legal fight continues,” 4/10/25 POLITICO Pro: “US issues statement of interest in New York CDPAP lawsuit,” 4/10/25 Gothamist NY officials agree to delay $9B home care overhaul amid consumer complaints 4/10/25 New York Law Journal Preliminary Accord Reached in Litigation Over NY Medicaid Program Transition 4/10/25 Politico Pro - New York Health Care Newsletter: “New deal allows some fiscal intermediaries to continue operating CDPAP” 4/9/25 NYStateofPolitics.com State Health Dept. agrees to court order to extend home care transition deadline 4/9/25 WRVO Public Media – NPR News Central NY: “Proposed preliminary injunction in CDPAP case could create safeguards for PPL transition 4/9/25 WBFO-FM (NY Public Radio) - Buffalo, NY: “Disabilities Beat: CDPAP preliminary injunction expected Wednesday” 4/9/25 WRGB CBS 6 – Albany, NY: “CDPAP payments to start Thursday amid ongoing PPL transition confusion “ 4/8/2025 WTEN (ABC News 10) - Albany, NY: “News10 at 5:30” 4/7/2025 Hell Gate (NYC): “Is Governor Hochul Fixing Home Care, or Using a 'DOGE Maneuver' to Destroy It? “ 4/7/2025 Politico Federal judge slated to issue preliminary injunction on CDPAP transition 4/7/205 Crain's Health Pulse State's home care overhaul deadline in flux amid legal battle (Behind paywall)(excerpt -- ...As a part of its extension, the state promised to retroactively pay home care workers once they enrolled – a solution that advocates said was not an option for caregivers who are low-income and live paycheck-to-paycheck. The move raised concerns that caregivers would leave their jobs in search of other work to pay the bills, leaving consumers, some of whom have physical disabilities that require round-the-clock care, without services. The state has blamed lagging registrations on misinformation spewed by companies that were set to go out of business. But some consumers said that the slow sign-ups were perpetuated by technical issues, alleging in the federal lawsuit that directions to register with PPL were not available in multiple languages, they faced long wait times to talk to a company representative and it took weeks to complete their paperwork. Jose Hernandez, a home care user who lives in the Bronx, said that he started registering with PPL in February, but didn’t get all of his paperwork approved until April 3. Hernandez, who uses a wheelchair and receives services from five caregivers, said that one of his personal assistants still has not received clearance from PPL and cannot be paid through the system. After the publication of this story, the governor's office reached out to Crain's and said that the state addressed outstanding issues related to Hernandez's enrollment with PPL. Hernandez confirmed the fix. Attorneys for the state said in court on Friday that PPL has agreed to implement a team to expedite registrations and help consumers complete their paperwork. The company has also agreed to allow caregivers who cannot clock in to the company’s app to submit their timesheets on paper in the short term.... 4/6/25 Spectrum News 1: “DOH negotiating partial block of N.Y. home care transition” 4/6/25 News 12 Long Island: “Long Island caregivers frustrated over registration process for CDPAP“ 4/4/2025 Spectrum News 1: “DOH negotiating partial block of N.Y. home care transition” [video clip] 4/4/2025 Politico Pro Grim picture of CDPAP registration emerges amid tumultuous transition -- The new consolidated Medicaid program launched Tuesday, but thousands are still working through a fraught transition. 4/4/2025 Politico Pro State negotiates preliminary injunction for CDPAP transition -- The state is working with plaintiffs to hash out terms of a preliminary injunction, which is due Tuesday evening. 4/4/2025 Albany Times Union Editorial: A careless approach to care -- The home care program transition isn’t going well, and the state seems unable to admit it. 4/4/2025 WNYW-NY (FOX 5) - New York, NY “THE 5 O'CLOCK NEWS“ 4/3/2025 Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: “CDPAP transition 'a nightmare' for Southern Tier agencies. What to know” 4/2/25 CBS 6 NEWS NY’s home care payroll shift leaves aides struggling to log hours amidst app rollout VIDEO segment here 4/1/2025 New York Law Journal/Law.com: “Federal Judge Issues TRO, Pausing New York's Transition of Medicaid Procedures “ 4/1/25 Politico Pro New York forges ahead with CDPAP transition despite TRO The state Health Department is barred from cutting ties with fiscal intermediaries until a federal judge decides Friday on an extension. 4/1/25 Albany Times-Union Judge partially blocks NY health department's CDPAP transition 4/1/25 Crains Health Pulse Judge postpones Hochul's home care transition (behind paywall) 4/1/25 CBS News 10 Albany Judge says intermediaries can continue CDPAP for now 3/31/25 RochesterFirst.com: “CDPAP deadlines nears, Rochester organization joins class action,” by Isabel Garcia, March 31, 2025 3/25/25 RochesterFirst.com: April 1 CDPAP transition deadline remains, 30-day grace period announced Last week, Assemblymember Josh Jensen, who represents the 134th district and is the ranking Republican on the Health Committee, alongside Senator Patrick Gallivan, introduced a bill (S.6689) amplifying calls for the deadline to be pushed back. PPL President Maria Perrin said there is about a 70% call-back rate for those calling the company seeking answers 3/24/25 City and State Department of Health and PPL: CDPAP transition issues are not our fault - report from press conference in which DOH announced the "grace period" of one month 3/24/25 - Spectrum News - Interview with DOH COmmissioner McDonald - denies having seen the New York Focus expose about Leading Edge, which runs the sham health insurance plans offered by PPL. See more on the health insurance scam exposed by the Fiscal Policy Institute. Yet he says "This is people's health care, vulnerable New Yorkers' health care.... I think healthcare really is one of the most important things." 3/24/25 WNYT NBC Albany: NY Health Dept. Announces Late Registration For CDPAP Transition 3/24/25 CBS6 Albany NY offers 30-day grace period as CDPAP users protest April 1 transition deadline 3/24/25 Politico Officials defend contentious CDPAP transition -- State Health Commissioner James McDonald and Public Partnerships President Maria Perrin announced a month-long grace period, but said this is not a delay. (behind paywall) DOH Commissioner McDonald said they decided to create a grace period to ensure consumers and their workers are not burdened when PPL takes over the program's administrative system. He insisted the move does not constitute a delay, since FIs are still expected to cease their operations on April 1, as planned. “The misinformation that I've seen is unlike anything I've seen in my life,” McDonald told reporters Monday. “So we could have worked like crazy in the last week to try to get everybody into (the new system). I don't want anyone left behind though, it's too important a group. So that's why we did the late registration window.” McDonald was joined by PPL President Maria Perrin, who refuted claims of problems with the program's online portal. She said workers and consumers should be able to register with the online system within roughly one hour. Additionally, when asked about calls by 1199SEIU and workers to reconsider the company's benefits package, Perrin said the new plan affords most workers greater benefits. Hochul told reporters Monday that “the truth is on our side,” when referring to a campaign of alleged misinformation from fiscal intermediaries who are expected to cease operations on April 1, when PPL takes over. “We are not changing that deadline for companies, they don't deserve it because they are the reason we are in this situation,” Hochul said of the fiscal intermediaries that currently run the program. “They have been digging their heels in, refusing to turn over legally obligated information about who the patients are and who the caregivers are. I'm not letting them off the hook. Hell no.” 3/24/25 NY Post Hochul admin offers ‘grace period’ for NY home care switch — but still denies any issues in chaotic rollout 3/24/25 Spectrum News Questions loom as New York state gives 30-day grace period for Medicaid home care transition 3/24/25 Albany Times Union Deadline for NY home care program transition delayed a month PPL is expecting— between 5,000 to 10,000 per day — to enroll with PPL by April 1. Its spokesperson Maria Perrin did not clarify how many people would be expected to enroll in the program during the one-month grace period, but from state data it appears about 65,000 have not yet begun to register and perhaps another 100,000 have started but not completed registration. "But the confidence from officials has contrasted sharply with the testimony from individual patients who say they have faced logistical and technical difficulties trying to switch their information over to PPL, which has been hampered by large call volumes and long wait times." 3/25/25 The Buffalo News: Caregivers, patients now have until April 30 to register for state program (behind paywall) In a news conference Monday where he was joined by PPL President Maria Perrin, McDonald noted that people had “quite a bit of time” to register for PPL, then moments later said he did not fault patients nor caregivers for not signing up. 3/24/25 Capitol Confidential: CDPAP registration deadline extended through April 30 (behind paywall) - article notes they didn’t provide answers to several questions, including how much workers are being paid, if their insurance benefits will lapse, and why they decided to delay the deadline now Click here for earlier press. 4. Registration Required for CDPAP Consumers by May 15, 2025? - and PAs by June 6, 2025 (extended dates under Preliminary Injunction)The NYS Dept. of Health is requiring all 240,000 CDPAP consumers and all of the more than 500,000 Personal Assistants to sign up with PPL. The NYS CDPAP website and the PPL-NY website explain the FOUR ways that a consumer and their PA may make the transition -- by phone, online, with a "facilitator," or at an in-person registration session. The transition does not happen instantly and may take several contacts over a period of time -- therefore consumers should not wait until the last minute to begin the process. Also, a consumer's transition will not be complete unless all of their PAs also register with PPL, which can involve uploading extensive paperwork. The consumer is being tasked with responsibility for making sure their PAs register. View recording of webinar given by Valerie Bogart, NYLAG on March 10, 2025 and download NYLAG PowerPoint about the Single FI Transition - dated March 10, 2025, here. NEW PPL Brochure On HOw to Transition - with Screen Shots CONSUMERS REGISTER WITH PPL:
Personal Assistant (PA) Registration
Ask a FACILITATOR to help troubleshoot problems. 5. PA - Wages and Health Care BenefitsPPL wages are on its website - click on Frequently Asked Questions and scroll down to PA Wages and Benefits. The site links to this NYS DOH FAQ on PPL Health Insurance (revised 4/25/25) -- warning - not everything is correct Here are two expert analyses of the two PPL plans
The two PPL plans are:
DOH”s own FAQ about PPL Health Insurance admits that this plan is “not comprehensive health insurance coverage because it only covers services the plan considers preventive. For example, if you injure yourself and make an appointment to see a provider, your primary care visit to treat the injury is not covered by the PPL Anthem BasicWellnessPlan.” MANDATORY enrollment in the Anthem BasicWellness plan for all PAs in NYC, Long Island and Westchester. At this time, PPL Is only allowing Medicare beneficiaries to opt out of the MEC plan. They are not premitting others to opt out, which may interfere with their other coverage from a spouse or a retiree plan, depending on the terms of the particular plan.
PRESS investigating PPL's insurance and Leading Edge, the administrator of PPL's insurance plans
Many consumers and PA's are being told they should switch to traditional Personal Care agencies (called Licensed Home Care Services Agencies or "LHCSA"). Many FI's are operated by companies that also operate LHCSAs - so if the consumer and PA switch to the LHCSA this is a way for that company to keep the business. Consumers are NOT required to switch in order to maintain services. Consumers should keep several factors in mind before making this switch:
5. All PCA’s must go through a 2-week training to get certification. Some LHCSA’s offer this training. 6. The PA will now be an employee of the LHCSA personal care agency - and will not only work for the consumer. They might be reassigned to another case. 7a. ARCHIVE: What happened leading up to April 1, 2025 - advocacy and early stages of NYLAG lawsuit
3/25/25 - DOH posted the policy implementing a one-month grace period -- see CDPAP SFI Late Registration Payment Policy for April 2025 - (PDF) 3/24/25 - State Department of Health Announces Grace Period -- Extends Deadline to April 30th for Consumers and Personal Assistants to Complete Registration with PPL - see CDPAP SFI Late Registration Payment Policy for April 2025 - (PDF) -- Gives a grace period of an extra month to start and complete registering. However, for those who are not fully registered for PAs to start working April 1st -- the PAs will not get paid until later -- when they are fully registered and receive back pay. They will be paid by their current soon to be former FI for work done through March 31st. THe former FIs may not pay them for work done starting April 1st. They will use some sort of paper timesheets to track time - details still not known. This one month "grace period was announced by Politico on March 23rd - "Hochul Administration Gives CDPAP Participants One-Month Grace Period to Enroll" -(paywall) 3/25/25 3/27/25 Albany Times-Union State workers asked to volunteer to assist with CDPAP transition NY's Department of Health asked for employee help, even as the agency has signed a multimillion-dollar contract with a private vendor for the same work. Comment: By recruiting so-called volunteers, the state is acknowledging that its timeline was impossible to meet and that PPL cannot meet it. Spokesperson says, "Team will be reviewing CDPAP worker paperwork, running key information through federal process checks, and documenting the results,” the directive reads, adding that employees who volunteer would be given virtual training." March 31 -- Temporary Restraining Order issued in Lawsuit Filed by NYLAG and Patterson Belknap On March 31, 2025, Judge Frederick Block issued a Temporary Restraining Order [TRO] in Engesser et al v McDonald (E.D.N.Y.), a lawsuit filed by the New York Legal Assistance Group and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, which seeks to enjoin the state from implementing the April 1, 2025 date to move to a single Fiscal Intermediary for CDPAP. The lawsuit was filed on March 26, 2025, seeking to vindicate CDPAP recipients’ right to timely and adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard with aid continuing prior to the termination of their CDPAP services. The TRO, which can be downloaded here, orders that the State Department of Health -- "... be immediately and temporarily restrained from implementing those sections of Part HH of Chapter 57 of the New York Session Laws of 2024 .... [that amended the NYS law to mandate transition to a single Fiscal Intermediary on April 1, 2025] Importantly, this Order does not prevent the Statewide Fiscal Intermediary (“PPL”) from operating, processing applications, servicing and paying CDPAP participants who have already registered with PPL. Rather, this Order restrains Defendant from disallowing other Fiscal Intermediaries from servicing those CDPAP participants who have not yet registered with PPL;.."
By April 1, 2025, all FIs other than PPL were originally required to stop operating. April 2, 2025 - Federal Court Modifies the March 31, 2025 Temporary Restraining Order --After NYLAG and Patterson Beklnap, counsel on the lawsuit, informed the Judge that DOH was violating the March 31st TRO, the Judge modified the TRO: WHEREAS the Court held an emergency telephone conference on April 2, 2025, to clarify its prior temporary restraining order (TRO), entered on March 31, 2025, ECF No. 37 , and to make it explicit that, with respect to the TRO, the State has a responsibility to ensure that all CDPAP consumers and PAs who participated in CDPAP before April 1, 2025, regardless of their individual circumstances and present registration status, shall continue to receive care from their existing PA, who shall be timely paid for their services. Based on the papers and the hearing, and for good cause shown, it is hereby: Ordered by Judge Frederic Block on 4/2/2025. (MI) (Entered: 04/02/2025) ADVOCACY COMMENT: This modified Order implicitly REJECTS the State's interpretation of the original TRO that the Department of Health communicated to MLTC and other managed care plans about the TRO. DOH had interpreted the Order to say that if a consumer has registered with PPL, they cannot receive services paid for by their "old FI" even if each of their PA workers have hit roadblocks in registering with PPL, or even if there are other barriers such as PPL not receiving the "authorization" for their services from the plan or Local DSS/HRA. According to this slide, the PA workers must wait for back pay from PPL. See this FAQ from CDPAANYS on the TRO. Transition Update from CD Choices, one of the Facilitators that help consumers and PAs register with PPL April 3, 2025 - NYS Dept. of Health issued an "update" that is apparently intended to comply with the TRO as modified on April 2, 2025. From: "health.sm.StatewideFI" <StatewideFI@health.ny.gov> On March 31, 2025, a federal court judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order that was limited in scope applying to changes in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Statewide Fiscal Intermediary (FI) transition. The judge clarified that order on April 2, 2025 and a hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for April 4, 2025. Until further notice:
ADVOCACY COMMENT: At least for group 1 in the above April 3rd email, Personal Assistants can use this paper TimeSheet to submit their weekly time records to PPL if they cannot log into the Time4Care app. The TimeSheet, which was apparently created by a facilitator, has an email address and fax number to submit to PPL. The form must be signed by the consumer or designated rep. It is not clear from this guidance how MLTC plans, other managed care plans, and LDSS will carry out this directive and ensure that all PAs get paid on a timely basis. Wed. April 9, 2025 After intensive negotiations that began Frday April 4th, the parties in Engesser et al v. McDonald submitted a Proposed Preliminary Injunction to Judge Block for his consideration. Meanwhile, the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), the clarifying April 2, 2025 Order, and DOH's instructions below ssued April 4th. remained in effect. The Proposed Preliminary Injunction is complicated. See this article for a general summary. : “Proposed preliminary injunction in CDPAP case could create safeguards for PPL transition (WRVO Public Media – NPR News Central NY -April 9, 2025). More will be posted -- stay tuned. see above for most recent status updates. NYHealthAccess article about CDPAP with news articles, advocacy about the transition7b ARCHIVE: EARLIER PRESS and ADVOCACY to and ADDRESS ISSUES TRANSITION TO CDPAP SINGLE FI
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