The Ultimate CDPAP Guide
Want to get started with CDPAP? Click here or call (877) 771-5875.
What Does CDPAP Stand For?
CDPAP, or the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, is a New York State Medicaid initiative that allows consumers to choose and hire their own personal caregiver. This includes friends and family members (as long as they are not the patient’s spouse). Which means….
Your Friends and Family Can Care For You (and Get Paid!)
No one can take care of you like family or close friends. To them your health is more than just a job. Of course, you don’t want to be a burden to your loved ones. That’s where CDPAP comes in. After you enroll, your chosen caregiver will get paid for taking care of you.
You must use a Fiscal Intermediary to ensure your chosen caregiver gets paid. Freedomcare is the leading fiscal intermediary in the state and will help guide you through the process. To check FreedomCare’s latest pay rates click here.
Eligibility
So, are you eligible for CDPAP? If you:
- Have Medicaid.
- Require home care.
- Are self-directing or have a representative that can direct your care.
Congratulations! You are able to sign up for CDPAP. If you have additional questions give us a call at 877-223-9286. Our friendly staff will answer any concerns that you have.
CDPAP Will Not Cost You Anything (Thank You Medicaid!)
As we stated above, CDPAP is a Medicaid program, which means no extra cost to the beneficiary of the home care service. Once the individual requests a CDPAP personal assistant, all they need is to be on Medicaid and prove that they’re in need of home care, which is decided by their MCO based on a nurse’s visit and documentation from one’s doctor.
Your aide will be paid by FreedomCare (i.e. the fiscal intermediary).
Who Can Be My Caregiver Under CDPAP?
Pretty much any adult that is legally able to work can be your caregiver. This includes family and friends! Below are some common questions we receive regarding caregiver eligibility:
Q: Can children get paid to care for their parents?
A: Yes. Parents can hire their children to be paid family caregivers.
Q: Can spouses get paid to take care of each other?
A: No. Spouses cannot hire each other as their paid family caregiver.
Q: Can parents get paid for taking care of their children?
A: It depends. Children aged 21 or older can choose their parents to be their paid caregiver. Children younger than 21 cannot choose their parents to be their paid caregiver.
Q: Can siblings get paid to care for each other?
A: Yes. CDPAP home care consumers can choose their siblings to be their paid family caregivers.
Q: May immigrants serve as CDPAP Personal Assistants?
A: Yes, provided that all their required papers proving their legal status are up to date.
CDPAP (Loved Ones) vs Home Health Aides
Unlike classic home aides who are limited in the tasks and medications that they can administer, CDPAP attendants can do more, akin to nurses who must usually come to the house to do such tasks. Some of these actions include administering oxygen and injecting insulin into the consumer.
One of the goals of CDPAP is to make home health care more efficient and more enjoyable for the consumer. Medicaid believes that with the consumer calling more of the shots, it will equal less turnover of the particular Personal Assistants providing care, translating therefore into overall better health care for the consumer, therefore also avoiding the need for a nursing home.
It is also hoped that dealing with someone the consumer knows and trusts, will affect them on a health level. This means potential health issues or hazards can be caught at an earlier point, with the result of fewer hospital visits and a significant decrease in any potential complicated care.
Now you must be thinking that your chosen caregiver is going to need a lot of training and certification to be eligible to work for you. Well….
No license or certification is required!
Anyone chosen by the consumer to be a CDPAP Personal Assistant can qualify, even without any prior education or certification in healthcare. All the training that’s needed for taking care of the consumer is completed on site by the consumer or his or her DR, so as to help facilitate the most efficient healthcare possible in the consumer’s home.
Here are the most common questions we get regarding certification and training:
Q: Does one who seeks to become a CDPAP Personal Assistant require any prior healthcare education?
A: No, all training in home care is provided to the potential candidate.
Q: Is anything required to become a CDPAP Personal Assistant?
A: Yes, a full exam by a doctor with TB test and proof of Measles/Rubella immunity must be submitted.
Q: What type of healthcare functions can CDPAP Personal Assistants provide?
A: CDPAP Personal Assistants can do nearly anything a registered nurse making a home visit can do including giving oxygen and injections. Guidelines are laid out to each Personal Assistant during their training by the consumer.
How to Begin the Application Process
Ok. You’re ready to sign up. So where do you start?
Give us a call at 877-781-6864 and an enrollment specialist will walk you through the process. Our team is ready to help, and we will treat you like family.
Consumers living in all 62 counties in the state of New York, and all residents of New York City must complete an enrollment process. If they have their DR making the decisions, then the DR must be the one to complete the enrollment process.
Forms
There are some forms that you will need to fill out to be eligible for the CDPAP program. We have provided the forms here to download if you want to get a head start on signing up.
For potential patients:
Patient Form (DOH) For Potential Caregivers:
If you need any help with the forms, please reach out. Our intake team is ready and willing to walk you through the process.
Locations
Did we mention that we are the biggest fiscal intermediary for CDPAP in New York State. That means we have a lot of convenient locations to better serve you. The following is a list of our locations:
CDPAP in ALBANY
(518) 659-0106
CDPAP in BRONX
(718) 866-3479
CDPAP in HUDSON VALLEY
(845) 470-5014
CDPAP in MELVILLE, LONG ISLAND
(718) 989-3734
CDPAP in PLATTSBURGH
(518) 501-0983
CDPAP in ROCHESTER (MONROE)
(585) 535-9105
CDPAP in SYRACUSE (ONONDAGO)
(315) 563-2203
CDPAP in BROOKLYN (KINGS)
(718) 412-0527
CDPAP in BUFFALO (ERIE)
(716) 215-2429
CDPAP in MANHATTAN
(646) 461-4844
CDPAP in NEW HYDE PARK
1979 Marcus Ave., Suite C115,
New Hyde Park, NY 11042
(718) 606-7473
CDPAP in QUEENS
(718) 514-2199
CDPAP in SUFFOLK
(631) 201-0376
CDPAP in WESTCHESTER (YONKERS)
(914) 415-5978
Who is the best CDPAP Fiscal Intermediary (FI) in NY?
We’re not bragging, but it’s us. Don’t take our word for it, you can read over 3000 customer reviews from satisfied customers. We take our job seriously, which is why we are the best fiscal intermediary for CDPAP in the state.
The Benefits of CDPAP
Arguably the biggest benefit of the CDPAP program is the Personal Assistant that you choose. When the caregiver and customer have a bond, it leads to better care and health results. At Freedomcare, our mission is to revolutionize the home healthcare space. We are passionate about making sure that everyone who needs home care has someone working for them who is truly committed to their health.
What if I Don’t Have Medicaid?
To enroll in CDPAP you will need to have Medicaid. If you need help signing up call us and we can help walk you through the process. We also have a great article that lists the best Medicaid offices that can help you sign up.
CDPAP Looking Forward
Healthcare is constantly changing, due to the needs and concerns of patients and consumers country wide becoming more complex by the day. While several decades ago, no one could have even dreamed of home healthcare being so easily accessible, the efforts of many individuals helped to effect lasting reform in that arena.
CDPAP is just one of the many examples of the healthcare industry changing to meet the needs of the many home-bound consumers who want to customize their home healthcare experience. From the ability to choose from an almost infinite pool of candidates to provide healthcare at home, to the Personal Assistants themselves getting paid through neutral fiscal intermediaries, it’s no wonder that CDPAP has taken healthcare to the next level.
With all of the benefits, it’s become a no-brainer for thousands of people who require healthcare in their own home. With CDPAP coverage across the state, more decision making in the hands of the consumer and all at no additional expense to the consumer, home healthcare has never been this enjoyable, and based on the reactions of the thousands already involved in the program, the results speak for themselves.
CDPAP FAQ
Q: How much does CDPAP pay an hour?
A: It varies depending on the county that you live in. For more information give us a call at 877-781-2693.
Q: Who qualifies for CDPAP?
A: If you need help with activities of daily living — like shopping, cleaning, bathing, and grooming — there’s a good chance you’re eligible. A Medicaid nurse and/or a nurse from your plan will visit you at home to determine (a) if you’re eligible and (b) how many weekly hours of care you can get.
Q: What is the difference between CDPAP and CDPAS?
A: CDPAP, or the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, is a New York State Medicaid initiative that helps people who require home care services with additional ways to receive their care.
CDPAS, or Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services, refers to the services offered within the CDPAP program such as personal home care, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).
Q: Does Medicare cover CDPAP?
A: This program is ONLY for Medicaid recipients, without exception. Medicare is not enough. If you don’t have Medicaid but think you may be eligible, call 718.650.661 now to reach a partner vendor who can help you get Medicaid.
Q: What is a fiscal intermediary and what functions does it perform?
A: A great explanation can be found here https://definitions.uslegal.com/f/fiscal-intermediary-fi-health-care/
Q: When was the first idea of reform for home healthcare suggested?
A: The initial ideas date back to the late 1970’s, with 1979 being the year the movement started to really gain steam.
Q: When were CDPAP programs first legislated?
A: The first program was introduced in 1992, and three years after it was renamed CDPAP.
Q: Is the CDPAP program gaining momentum?
A: By the turn of the millennium, there were more than 1000 people who joined the CDPAP program, and each year since then has seen significant percentage increases in participation. By now, every county health department and every MCO provides CDPAP services.
Q: What was home healthcare before CDPAP?
A: Prior to the existence of the CDPAP program, instead of the consumer making most of the decisions regarding their care, it was the healthcare providers.
Q: What decisions are now made by the consumer or the one responsible for their healthcare?
A: They may decide who the Personal Assistant will be, what their schedule will be, and which services they’ll provide. They also handle any potential terminations.
Q: Is any part of New York State not included in the CDPAP program?
A: No, currently every county in the state has services provided for those in the CDPAP program.
Q: How can one find out if they’re eligible for CDPAP?
A: One can contact their county’s health department or FreedomCare (at 877.788.1586), the only fiscal intermediary which provides CDPAP services in all sixty-two Counties of New York No, currently every county in the state has services provided for those in the CDPAP program.
Q: If one is eligible to receive home care services, does that exclude them from the benefit of the CDPAP program?
A: No, they can still join CDPAP.
Q: Can anyone be a CDPAP Personal Assistant?
A: Not everyone, but close to it. As long as they’re an adult, not the consumer’s spouse, not the consumer’s designated representative, and not the parent of a disabled child under 21 years old, one can serve as a CDPAP Personal Assistant.
Q: Are there any health benefits to the CDPAP program?
A: Definitely. With the consumer choosing the Personal Assistant of their choice, less turnover will happen, and better healthcare will result. Additionally, having one’s loved one dealing with the consumer’s healthcare may mean better care at home and less hospital visits.
Q: What steps are needed to become a fiscal intermediary for CDPAP?
A: They must complete an initial authorization application, contact the Bureau of Long-Term Care Reimbursement to establish a Health Provider Network account, and enter into contracts with MCOs to establish a reimbursement rate. If they are not enrolled as a Medicaid provider, they must contact the Bureau of Provider Enrollment to become one.
Q: Can an entity contract with a managed home care company to provide fiscal intermediary services before going through the above steps?
A: No. The New York State Department of Health only allows a fiscal intermediary to contract with plans and service consumers once all of their paperwork is completed.
Q: How does one apply for the CDPAP program?
A: One should contact their county health department to sign up for CDPAP.
Q: What’s involved in the process of becoming part of the CDPAP program?
A: The consumer or the one making the health-related decisions for the consumer must complete the enrollment process, after which the consumer’s MCO makes the final decision on the eligibility for the CDPAP program.
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If you have Medicaid FreedomCare allows you to choose your caregiver!