Frequently Asked Questions
Key Terms
Consumer Directed Home Care: A Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) program.
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP): Allows individuals needing help with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) to hire someone to help with daily needs. This person can be someone who is already helping them, a friend, a family member, or someone who is in the career of home health or supporting people maintain independence and remain in their home.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL): The daily activities we need to remain independent. Examples: Getting out of bed, preparing meals, medication management, personal care needs, healthcare provider visits, transportation, grocery shopping, etc.
Consumer: The person receiving Home Care services. The Consumer acts as the employer, recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, managing and, if necessary, terminating the Personal Assistant. The consumer trains the Personal Assistant to perform tasks covered in the Medicaid Insurance Plan.
Personal Assistant (PA): The employee to the Consumer. The Personal Assistant is, in the traditional model, the Home Health Aide.
Designated Representative (DR): The person acting on behalf of the Consumer if the Consumer is not self-directing. This person is appointed to help with the employer process.
Self-Directing: The individual is able to recruit, interview, hire, train, manage and terminate the Personal Assistant. They must be able to perform the tasks as an employer.
Fiscal Intermediary (FI): Independent Home Care is a Fiscal Intermediary. Independent Home Care provides the administrative oversight, including benefits and insurances, the timekeeping system and the financial oversight of taxes and bi-weekly paychecks. The staff at Independent Home Care provide customer service and assistance to the Consumer and the PA, including employment vacancy connections. The Fiscal Intermediary bills the Consumer’s Medicaid Plan for reimbursement of the PA’s paycheck.
Medicaid Managed Care Organization: The Medicaid Insurance Program that the Consumer uses for their insurance coverage.
Traditional Home Care: Licensed programs are commonly known as PCA or HHA. An agency licensed by New York State Department of Health where the agency recruits, trains, credentials and hires the home health aide. Scheduling of which home health aide and availability of the aide is done by the agency. Most skilled nursing tasks are not permitted, including wound care, changing of catheters, tracheotomy care, medication distribution, etc.
Q: Can I hire my family members as personal assistants?
Generally, yes, you can hire your family members as personal assistants; however, there are exceptions. A spouse cannot be hired as a personal assistance in the CDPAP program. Parents cannot serve as a personal assistant for their children under 21 years old.
Q: Does Independent Home Care, Inc. have a contract with my Medicaid Managed Care Organizations?
We contract with a variety of Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCO)s. Let us know which plan you have and we will work with you to connect you with services.
Q: Does Independent Home Care, Inc. serve my area?
We cover six counties: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster Counties.
* Do not see your county listed here? We are continuously expanding!
Contact us and let us know you would like Consumer Directed Home Care Services; let’s work together to get you signed up.
Q: How do I enroll in Independent Home Care’s Consumer Directed Program?
Independent Home Care will work with you to facilitate the enrollment process in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Once you are set up to receive services, we will work with you to complete the intake process with Independent Home Care for you and your personal assistant.
*Please note that Independent Home Care, Inc. is a Fiscal Intermediary; we manage the administrative support, including benefits and payroll management
Q: How do I know if I qualify for Medicaid?
Medicaid eligibility can depend on a number of factors including:
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- Financial circumstances (income, etc.)
- Household living arrangements (size of household, etc.)
- Family situations
- Age
*If you would like assistance in understanding your Medicaid qualifications and application, you can reach out to our affiliates in the No Wrong Door Program.
Q: I want to have a conversation with a person.
We value relationships with our consumers and personal assistants! Please call or email us and we would be more than happy to talk about the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), the enrollment process, and anything else that you may want to discuss.
Call us at (845) 565-1163
Email us at cdpas@myindependentliving.org
Email the program manager at bsatzman@myindependentliving.org
Q: What are the differences in Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Home Care and Traditional Home Care?
Traditional Home Care: Licensed programs are commonly known as PCA or HHA. An agency licensed by New York State Department of Health where the agency recruits, trains, credentials and hires the home health aide. Scheduling of which home health aide and availability of the aide is done by the agency. Most skilled nursing tasks are not permitted, including wound care, changing of catheters, tracheotomy care, medication distribution, etc.
Consumer Directed Home Care: A Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) program.
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP): Allows individuals needing help with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) to hire someone to help with daily needs. This person can be someone who is already helping them, a friend, a family member, or someone who is in the career of home health or supporting people maintain independence and remain in their home.
Q: What are the Qualifications?
The person receiving care must:
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- Be Self-Directing and able to act as the employer of a Personal Assistant (the home health aide)
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- If not Self-Directing, have someone who makes decisions on their behalf
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- Want to remain in their home or community
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- Have or be eligible for Medicaid
Q: What is Consumer Directed Home Care?
Commonly known as Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) or Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS), Consumer Directed Home Care is a New York State Medicaid program which allows recipients of home care services to recruit, interview, hire, train, manage and, if needed, terminate their caregivers.
A common highlight of this program is the ability to hire family members and friends.
Q: What is Independent Living, Inc. and how is it affiliated with Independent Home Care, Inc.?
Independent Living, Inc. is a consumer-directed, cross-disability advocacy and service organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals living in the Hudson Valley region. The organization is an affiliate of Independent Home Care, Inc., offering services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults related to maintaining independence in the community. Services include benefits advisement, deaf and hard of hearing services, mental health supports, substance use recovery supports, developmental disabilities (OPWDD) programs, independent living skills specialists, supported and supportive housing, and many more.
Commonly, individuals who require home care can often benefit from additional connections to services or care. Independent Home Care staff get to know each consumer and what additional supports or services may help provide the most personalized plan of care.
Am I Eligible for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Home Care?
Fill out the form for an Independent Home Care program staff to contact you back and discuss eligibility.
*If you are not immediately eligible, our staff will work with you to assist in the eligibility process or help determine the most beneficial program for you.