Linda Clark, Health Care Controversies team leader, was interviewed on The Capitol Pressroom podcast about the formation of the New York Advocates for Home Care (NYAHC), a new statewide association that is threatening legal action in response to a recent behind-the-scenes decision by the New York State Department of Health affecting the administration of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a popular home-care program.
New York State Governor Cuomo’s administration authorized just 68 out of nearly 400 organizations to serve as CDPAP providers to more than 100,000 New Yorkers. Linda, who has been retained by NYAHC as legal counsel, explains why who is authorized to direct the care through this program is important, what the potential impact on the consumers being cared for and on the people who care for them will be, and whether she feels the fiscal intermediaries that are doing this work now are doing a good job and should have been reauthorized by the state. She also answers more questions from the host, David Lombardo, including what the state’s argument is for drastically reducing the number of organizations who can direct this care, what legal issues are associated with the state’s selection process, and what other avenues there are to reverse the state’s changes besides going to court.
Linda discusses the impact being felt by consumers regarding their care, explaining that there hasn’t been any disruption to date. However, she notes that fiscal intermediaries are concerned that disruption in care could occur during the notification phase.
Click here to listen to the full episode.