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Binghamton, NY – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today demanded Governor Kathy Hochul rescind her decision to gut disability services in New York State through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Rep. Molinaro has been a staunch supporter of the program and has fought against plans to gut it.

CDPAP allows individuals with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses to have a family member or trusted friend as their caregiver. These caregivers are able to provide specialized services at home and get reimbursed by Medicaid.

In Governor Hochul’s finalized Fiscal Year 2025 New York State budget, she cuts funding from the program and eliminates nearly all fiscal intermediaries (FI) jobs. These intermediaries provide patients and families with financial and administrative guidance to get the care that meets their needs.

In a letter to Governor Hochul, Rep. Molinaro blasted the plan, “FIs are an integral component of the CDPAP program and provide patients with the necessary financial and administrative supports to tailor their care to fit their needs. For years the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) ineffective regulations have allowed unethical providers to enter the program and exploit this service and our most vulnerable for their own financial gains. Instead of directing the DOH to utilize its authority to fix this situation, your elimination of all FI providers, including those that are disability-led and disability-staffed, jeopardizes thousands of jobs across the state and places yet another barrier for those with disabilities to overcome to lead fuller, more independent lives.”

The full text of Rep. Molinaro’s letter can be found below:

Dear Governor Hochul, 

On March 11, 2024, I wrote to you outlining my concerns with your proposed changes to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) to eliminate designated representatives from acting on behalf of those whose disabilities prevent them from registering for the program and the necessary services they need. With the FY25 New York State budget recently finalized, your inclusion of a provision to require nearly all fiscal intermediaries (FI) to cease operations by April 1, 2025, and overhaul the entire CDPAP system under one statewide FI is an insult to the tens of thousands of New Yorkers that rely on the program and the independent-living centers (ILCs) that provide these services. 

FIs are an integral component of the CDPAP program and provide patients with the necessary financial and administrative supports to tailor their care to fit their needs. For years the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) ineffective regulations have allowed unethical providers to enter the program and exploit this service and our most vulnerable for their own financial gains. Instead of directing the DOH to utilize its authority to fix this situation, your elimination of all FI providers, including those that are disability-led and disability-staffed, jeopardizes thousands of jobs across the state and places yet another barrier for those with disabilities to overcome to lead fuller, more independent lives. 

Without FIs, CDPAP enrollees can lose access to critical community level connections and supports that empower them to dictate their personalized home care. As a father of a child with a disability and a longtime advocate for those with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, I am seeking answers to the following questions:

1. How were the voices of our disability community included in your decision to eliminate the FIs from the CDPAP system? 

2. With rising debt placing significant limitations on the state’s ability to respond to the vital needs of New Yorkers, does New York State have the capacity to oversee the entire FI system and effectively serve CDPAP enrollees? 

3. How will the overhaul of FI services into one statewide system impact CDPAP enrollee services? 

4. How will the state support our network of ILCs as they struggle to navigate the elimination of FI services to the CDPAP? 

Given your commitment to ensure those with disabilities have access to the resources and services needed to lead more independent lives, I urge you to reconsider this provision and work with state lawmakers to ensure the CDPAP operates as it was intended. 

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter and I look forward to your timely response.