The New York State Capitol in Albany is seen on June 30,...

The New York State Capitol in Albany is seen on June 30, 2022. Credit: AP/Hans Pennink

ALBANY — The state health commissioner is countering what he calls "lies" spread in a statewide TV lobbying campaign over control of a program that allows families to hire home health aides paid by the state to care for relatives.

"There are businesses pushing a misinformation campaign to protect their own profits. It’s meant to scare you into thinking that New Yorkers will lose access to home care," Commissioner Dr. Jim McDonald says in the public service announcements. "That’s false."

The program is called the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Plan and was first adopted in 1995 to allow chronically ill and disabled New Yorkers who qualify for Medicaid health coverage to hire home aides paid by the state. CDPAP is designed to avoid sending those residents to more expensive care in hospitals or nursing homes.

The state Department of Health is changing the operation of the system after it found problems in confirming that services were provided and that billing for those services was accurate. Currently verification and billing is handled by more than a dozen groups that participate in the program.

On April 1, the program is scheduled to be operated by a new statewide partnership called Public Partnership LLC (PPL), which includes community-based care providers, 11 independent living centers and care providers for disabled New Yorkers. The transition to PPL began Jan. 6.

A lobbying group called The Alliance to Protect Home Care, which is funded by home care companies, opposes the move and has launched a TV and social media campaign titled, "Don’t Let Big Business Hijack Our Home Care."

The group's ads include a woman using a wheelchair who says the state’s plan "puts lives like mine at risk." The ad urges people to contact Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators.

The ads also say "an out-of-state company backed by private equity" will force elderly and disabled New Yorkers now cared for at home into nursing homes and warn of "lower quality service driven by profits — not people."

Hochul is portrayed by the ads in stark images, one wearing dark sunglasses and smiling and another in which the image of her arms and hands appears to be manipulated to look like she is reaching out menacingly to the superimposed words "Home Care."

Last week, McDonald took the unusual step of airing spots on TV and in social media to dispute the group's claims.

"Here’s what you need to know," McDonald said in the TV spots. "Our plan will protect New Yorkers who rely on home care. It will protect vulnerable people from businesses that haven’t played by the rules. And it will protect taxpayers from middlemen that have abused Medicaid funding.

"Our plan will deliver better home care service," he said. "If you’re a CDPAP home care user, you can keep your trusted caregiver. If you’re a caregiver, it will be easier for you to get paid. New Yorkers will get better care and better service at a better price. That’s the truth."

The Alliance to Protect Home Care didn’t respond to a request for comment.

State lobbying records show The Alliance to Protect Home Care is funded by at least $645,000 from seven home care businesses in Queens, Brooklyn, Rochester and Albany. State Department of State records show the alliance was created in May as a nonprofit organization. The company filed federally as a tax-exempt organization to advocate "for policies that support home care workers, small businesses, and the well-being of New York’s most vulnerable residents."

The state program allows New Yorkers who qualify for Medicaid health coverage to secure home care services and hire a personal caregiver or "personal assistant," according to the health department. These workers can be a friend or family member who isn’t a spouse of the recipient, the recipient’s designated representative in Medicaid or the parent of a participant in the program under age 21.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) supports the change.

"No one is trying to deny services or jobs," he told reporters last week. "Medicaid was not set up to be an entrepreneurial business for people to have 700 different businesses, individual businesses making profits off Medicaid. That’s not what it’s for. I’d rather see that money go to services and the workers."

In November, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit that detailed some of the accountability concerns that prompted the health department to switch to a consortium. An example of the problem was in the use of an electronic verification that caregivers are supposed to record the services they provided and for which they would later bill the state.

The audit found "a disturbing lack of oversight," including lack of proof that services were provided and how millions of dollars in state Medicaid funds were spent.

With Keshia Clukey

ALBANY — The state health commissioner is countering what he calls "lies" spread in a statewide TV lobbying campaign over control of a program that allows families to hire home health aides paid by the state to care for relatives.

"There are businesses pushing a misinformation campaign to protect their own profits. It’s meant to scare you into thinking that New Yorkers will lose access to home care," Commissioner Dr. Jim McDonald says in the public service announcements. "That’s false."

The program is called the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Plan and was first adopted in 1995 to allow chronically ill and disabled New Yorkers who qualify for Medicaid health coverage to hire home aides paid by the state. CDPAP is designed to avoid sending those residents to more expensive care in hospitals or nursing homes.

The state Department of Health is changing the operation of the system after it found problems in confirming that services were provided and that billing for those services was accurate. Currently verification and billing is handled by more than a dozen groups that participate in the program.

On April 1, the program is scheduled to be operated by a new statewide partnership called Public Partnership LLC (PPL), which includes community-based care providers, 11 independent living centers and care providers for disabled New Yorkers. The transition to PPL began Jan. 6.

A lobbying group called The Alliance to Protect Home Care, which is funded by home care companies, opposes the move and has launched a TV and social media campaign titled, "Don’t Let Big Business Hijack Our Home Care."

The group's ads include a woman using a wheelchair who says the state’s plan "puts lives like mine at risk." The ad urges people to contact Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators.

The ads also say "an out-of-state company backed by private equity" will force elderly and disabled New Yorkers now cared for at home into nursing homes and warn of "lower quality service driven by profits — not people."

Hochul is portrayed by the ads in stark images, one wearing dark sunglasses and smiling and another in which the image of her arms and hands appears to be manipulated to look like she is reaching out menacingly to the superimposed words "Home Care."

Last week, McDonald took the unusual step of airing spots on TV and in social media to dispute the group's claims.

"Here’s what you need to know," McDonald said in the TV spots. "Our plan will protect New Yorkers who rely on home care. It will protect vulnerable people from businesses that haven’t played by the rules. And it will protect taxpayers from middlemen that have abused Medicaid funding.

"Our plan will deliver better home care service," he said. "If you’re a CDPAP home care user, you can keep your trusted caregiver. If you’re a caregiver, it will be easier for you to get paid. New Yorkers will get better care and better service at a better price. That’s the truth."

The Alliance to Protect Home Care didn’t respond to a request for comment.

State lobbying records show The Alliance to Protect Home Care is funded by at least $645,000 from seven home care businesses in Queens, Brooklyn, Rochester and Albany. State Department of State records show the alliance was created in May as a nonprofit organization. The company filed federally as a tax-exempt organization to advocate "for policies that support home care workers, small businesses, and the well-being of New York’s most vulnerable residents."

The state program allows New Yorkers who qualify for Medicaid health coverage to secure home care services and hire a personal caregiver or "personal assistant," according to the health department. These workers can be a friend or family member who isn’t a spouse of the recipient, the recipient’s designated representative in Medicaid or the parent of a participant in the program under age 21.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) supports the change.

"No one is trying to deny services or jobs," he told reporters last week. "Medicaid was not set up to be an entrepreneurial business for people to have 700 different businesses, individual businesses making profits off Medicaid. That’s not what it’s for. I’d rather see that money go to services and the workers."

In November, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit that detailed some of the accountability concerns that prompted the health department to switch to a consortium. An example of the problem was in the use of an electronic verification that caregivers are supposed to record the services they provided and for which they would later bill the state.

The audit found "a disturbing lack of oversight," including lack of proof that services were provided and how millions of dollars in state Medicaid funds were spent.

With Keshia Clukey

Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon’s Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."  Credit: Mario Gonzalez

 SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off." 

Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon’s Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."  Credit: Mario Gonzalez

 SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off." 

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME