NYS Legislature Must Reject Cuomo’s Cuts and Save CDPA!
Governor Cuomo’s executive 30-day budget amendments maintain harsh cuts to Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) that will put 90% of fiscal intermediaries out of business and severely limit consumer choice.
In addition to arbitrarily redefining who is eligible to serve as a fiscal intermediary to a fraction of those in business now, the Governor also wants the Department of Health to provide a per member, per month (PMPM) capitated payment, representing a 500% cut from what they receive today. This is based on a misguided idea that everyone’s services cost the agency the same amount to administer, and a lack of understanding of the basic costs of doing business. In fact, these cuts discriminate in favor of people who require the fewest hours weekly – making it impossible for fiscal intermediaries to continue serving people with more complex disabilities or illnesses.
We all know that CDPA is a lifeline and is what holds the long term care system together. CDPA provides necessary services at an overall savings to the state, and most importantly, allows people freedom to make their own decisions about their health care.
The Governor’s refusal to acknowledge the needs and wants of 70,000 seniors and people with disabilities and their 100,000 personal assistants will put New York’s most vulnerable people at risk of institutionalization or worse. The Assembly and the Senate have shown a great deal of support and concern for their constituents and their families, and we are calling on them to restore the program in the one-house budget bills, due in a few weeks’ time.
Please take a moment to email your Assembly and Senate representatives and tell them to reject the Governor’s cuts to the program and #SaveCDPA in the one-house budget bills! Click here to take action: https://cdpaanys.org/advocacy-news/votervoice-action-center/
