New law will make it harder for the sick and disabled to receive care
We drop everything to care for our loved ones when they are sick or disabled. But for years, it required a heartbreaking choice between quitting our jobs and facing financial uncertainty. We would try to manage our loved one’s care while balancing our own work commitments and families, or we would leave our loved ones to be cared for by strangers if an aide was available and affordable.
For New Yorkers, the state has long provided a much better option that allowed for personal empowerment and dignity in receiving affordable care. Unfortunately, that is about to change.
As part of the enacted state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature passed a law that will drastically disrupt access to care for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. The new law significantly alters New York’s Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), which allows eligible New Yorkers suffering from illness or disability to designate a caregiver of their choice, who is paid by Medicaid. This caregiver could be a relative, neighbor or friend who can meet the needs of the individual. This program allows a vulnerable person to remain in the comfort of their own home and receive care from someone they know and trust.