New York’s transition to a single fiscal intermediary for its self-directed home care program has been delayed yet again.
On Tuesday, a federal judge extended the deadline for caregivers to complete registration with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) to June 20. PPL is the New York State Department of Health’s chosen single fiscal intermediary for its Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
The new delay comes days after New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP filed a pre-motion letter addressed to Senior United States District Judge Frederic Block proposing that the enrollment deadline be extended to August 15.
“We are grateful that Judge Block extended the Preliminary Injunction an additional two weeks to see if we can reach an agreement with the State and submit briefs to the court,” Elizabeth Jois, supervising attorney in New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)’s Special Litigation Unit and an attorney in a class action lawsuit filed in March. “The bottom line here is that there are still many people who aren’t enrolled with PPL, many personal assistants who aren’t onboarded and many personal assistants who aren’t being paid correctly.”
“We need the state to use all its resources to fix these issues,” Jois continued.
During the extension, both sides of the class action lawsuit filed by NYLAG and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler against the Department of Health will negotiate, according to NYLAG.
The pre-motion letter also proposed that the Department of Health and PPL “dramatically” expand access to PPL subcontractors that would provide one-on-one assistance to consumers and personal assistants struggling to be paid through the new program.
Caregivers and advocacy groups have attested that direct care workers have not been compensated by PPL.
Originally, caregivers were required to register with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) by April 1. The deadline was extended until April 30, and then Senior United States District Judge Frederic Block issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Health from enforcing its overhaul of CDPAP.
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