Senate Holds Hearing on CDPAS Transition to Single Statewide Fiscal Intermediary
(Aug. 26, 2025) The Senate Standing Committee on Health and the Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations held a joint hearing on Thurs., Aug. 21st to examine the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) transition to a single statewide Fiscal Intermediary (FI) under contract with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL).
Health Chair Gustavo Rivera and Government Operations Chair James Skoufis, along with Senators Lea Webb, Rachel May, Robert Jackson, Nathalia Fernandez, Christopher Ryan, Siela Bynoe, Kristen Gonzalez, Cordell Cleare, Patrick Gallivan, Steven Rhoads, and Steve Chan, were in attendance.
The hearing included initial comments from Senator Skoufis on the delayed enrollee transition and concerns over the procurement process involving PPL, the single statewide FI which has taken the place of roughly 600 entities. There are several facilitator FIs that remain in place to date assisting with the transition.
Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald presented the State's perspective on the transition, sharing that the State is on target to generate $500 million in savings from the move. The administrative cost per member per month is $68, and the transition involved no change in program eligibility or reduction in care. Senators shared concern regarding the fact that 80,000 individuals left CDPAP to receive care from Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), which costs more than CDPAP care. The Commissioner stated that lawsuits and significant misinformation provided from existing FIs to consumers and aides resulted in a delayed transition.
Many senators shared their concerns regarding the procurement process and whether it favored PPL and was compliant with standard procedure. Senators were also concerned about reports of PPL's inability to effectively transition aides and consumers to the program, delayed payment of aides, lack of cultural competence in serving consumers and aides, and PPL's health plan offering to aides that was characterized as providing little to no primary care. Others voiced concern regarding DOH's assistance to PPL in carrying out its contracted responsibilities, PPL's line of credit from DOH, and the fact that PPL requires payment up front from Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans before services are rendered.
Patty Byrnes, PPL's Vice President of Government Relations, testified at the hearing. Senator Skoufis questioned why PPL leadership was not present. Ms. Byrnes answered many questions about the procurement process and responsibility of PPL during the transition, its health plan offering, and more. Other witnesses included Independent Living Center leadership who were interested in bidding on the single FI contract and shared their perspective that, as the original FIs for the program, they delivered services with integrity.
A recording of the hearing is here for members who would like to learn more about the hearing and concerns with PPL and the CDPAP transition.
Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org