New York offers grace period for home care transition

The New York Department of Health has announced a “grace period” for participants in a troubled home care transition. This applies to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) as they switch to a new company called Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL). The grace period allows users to receive reimbursements after PPL completes necessary paperwork. State Health Commissioner Jim McDonald defended the state’s efforts but blamed the chaos on misinformation spread by former intermediaries being replaced by PPL. He expressed concern about misleading information affecting the transition. Critics argue the situation has created confusion and financial stress for home care workers, many of whom will go unpaid for weeks. During a recent press conference, PPL’s CEO said around 140,000 consumers have completed the transition. However, the Department of Health also reported that about 55,000 have switched to another, more expensive care program. State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri expected PPL to register 220,000 consumers by April 1, but a department spokesperson later said he “misspoke.” Critics, including the Alliance to Protect Home Care, have expressed frustration over the government's handling of the situation. They highlighted that workers should not have to work without pay and noted that an I.O.U does not help with living expenses. Meanwhile, PPL’s website has not updated information about the grace period and still emphasizes that the transition deadline is March 28. The Department of Health advised personal assistants to continue filling out timesheets during this period.