CDPAP Home Care – The Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Guide to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP)

CDPAP is a fantastic program that allows home care consumers to hire the caregiver of their choice, including most family members and friends. If you’re looking into the CDPAP program for the first time, you probably have a lot of questions. We at Edison Home Health Care have developed this guide to help you understand how the program works, answer your questions, and give you the tools you’ll need to enroll.

Please Note: Edison Home Health Care is a Fiscal Intermediary for CDPAP. We do not administer the program. We can help you navigate, but application and enrollment for CDPAP must go through your Local Department of Social Services or Medicaid plan.

Don’t want to read the whole guide? Click the button below to download a 1 page outline explaining the 3 basic parts of enrolling in CDPAP.

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Want to start your CDPAP enrollment straight away?

Call us at 718-831-2900 and one of our specialists will guide you.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to CDPAP Home Care

Consider the following scenario:

Sally Bronson was a dedicated mother who had worked hard her whole life to provide for her family. Now in her late-70s, she suffered from a number of health complications that caused her to require help with activities of daily living. She also required daily insulin shots for her diabetes. Her daughter, Michelle, was there as often as possible, but she herself had to work to support her own family.

Michelle wanted to get her mother a home attendant, but she knew that her mother would be reluctant to let a stranger into her home. Additionally, even if she could get her mother to accept a home attendant, the home attendant would not be allowed to administer the daily insulin shots that her mother required. Then Michelle discovered the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).

Under the CDPAP program, Michelle was able to get paid to take care of her mother. Since personal assistants are allowed to administer skilled services, Michelle was able to give her mother the daily insulin shots. This allowed Michelle to give her mother the kind of care that only a daughter can provide, without compromising on her responsibilities to her own family.

What is CDPAP?

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a New York State Medicaid program that allows consumers to recruit, hire, and direct their own home care workers. One of the highlights of the program is that it allows consumers to hire family members and friends.

What is CDPAS?

CDPAS stands for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) and refers to services that are rendered under the CDPAP program. While the alternative term CDPAS may cause confusion, it is really a reference to the same program.

Eligibility

Am I eligible for CDPAP?

There are three important criteria that must be met to be eligible:

1.      You must have Medicaid.

2.      You must require home care.

3.      You must be self-directing, or you must have a representative that can direct your care.

There are other factors that can potentially affect your eligibility, but if you meet the above criteria, we recommend you give us a call to see if you can enroll.

Please Note: Edison Home Health Care is a Fiscal Intermediary for CDPAP. We do not administer the program. We can help you navigate, but application and enrollment for CDPAP must go through your Local Department of Social Services or Medicaid plan.

Do I need to be in a Medicaid Managed Care plan to enroll in the CDPAP Program?

Most consumers must be enrolled in some form of Medicaid Managed Care to enroll. The good news is, you may have a choice as to what type of plan you enroll in. If you will be enrolling in Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC), as many consumers must, there are a few different types of MLTC plans to choose from, each offering the consumer their own unique set of benefits. To learn more about the different types of plans, see Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC) Plans.

Application

Where can I get a CDPAP Application?

If you want to apply for CDPAP and you’re trying to figure out where to start, please know that there are often several steps involved in the application process, and it is not just a matter of filling out a single application form (although, yes, there is a form titled “CDPAP Application”). We break down the process into three components:

1.      Assessment(s) – Most CDPAP applicants must be assessed by a nurse (sometimes more than once) before enrolling.

2.      Consumer Forms – Certain forms are required. See CDPAP Forms for more.

3.      Select your caregiver of choice.

Concerned about all the details? The good news is, we’re here to help you every step of the way. So don’t break a sweat trying to decipher all the different parts of the enrollment process. Give us a call and let one of our specialists explain the entire application process and guide you through your enrollment.

Please Note: Edison Home Health Care is a Fiscal Intermediary for CDPAP. We do not administer the program. We can help you navigate, but application and enrollment for CDPAP must go through your Local Department of Social Services or Medicaid plan.

Program Enrollment

Ready to enroll in CDPAP Home Care?

What are you waiting for! Call us now at 718-831-2900. A specialist will guide you through the entire enrollment process.

Please Note: Edison Home Health Care is a Fiscal Intermediary for CDPAP. We do not administer the program. We can help you navigate, but application and enrollment for CDPAP must go through your Local Department of Social Services or Medicaid plan.

Forms

What forms do I need to apply for the CDPAP program?

It really depends on your situation. However, you will certainly need something. We recommend you give us a call so we can give you a clear picture of what you will need. We will even help you with gathering the necessary forms from your doctor and other providers. For a complete list of the forms, see our dedicated CDPAP Forms page.

Hours of Care

How many hours of home care will I get?

Not all consumers receive the same number of hours. In fact, there are often vast differences between consumers in the number of hours for which they are approved. Usually, your Medicaid Managed Care plan will make the final determination on how many hours you will receive.

CDPAP Pay Rate and Salary

What is the hourly CDPAP pay rate that you compensate workers?

Your hourly pay rate and salary may depend on a number of factors. Please call us to find how much you may get paid.

Allowed Caregivers

Who can provide care under the CDPAP program?

Consumers can hire almost anyone that is legally allowed to work to be their caregiver, including most family members and friends. Those caregivers can then get paid to take care of their family members or friends. However, there are some exceptions. Please keep reading for answers to questions about whether the caregiver can live at the same address and hiring a family caregiver of your choice.

Can a caregiver live at the same address as the consumer?

Great question. The short answer is, it depends. The government’s policy states as follows: “a consumer directed personal assistant may include any other adult relative of the consumer who does not reside with the consumer or any other adult relative who resides with the consumer because the amount of care the consumer requires makes such relative’s presence necessary”.

Hiring a Family Member as a Paid Caregiver

One of the most appealing aspects of the CDPAP program is the ability to hire a family member as your paid caregiver. This can relieve much of the stress and anxiety that often accompanies receiving care from an agency provided home health aide (HHA) or personal care aide (PCA). Many people are uncomfortable having strangers coming to their home, especially when they find themselves in need of assistance. Do you want to hire a family member who will get paid to be your caregiver? The following are answers to some common questions that come up regarding what family members can be hired as paid caregivers under the CDPAP:

Can children get paid to provide care for their parents?

Yes. Parents can hire their children to be their paid caregivers.

Can spouses get paid to provide care for each other?

No. Spouses cannot hire each other as their paid caregiver. Please see here.

Can parents get paid to provide care for their children?

It depends. Children age 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. Please see here and here.

Can siblings get paid provide care for each other?

Yes. CDPAP home care consumers can choose their siblings to be their paid caregivers.

Certification and Training (Hint: No license or certification is required!)

Are caregivers required to have any license or certification?

Okay, we gave it away. Caregivers are not required to have any license or certification.

Who trains the Personal Assistant?

The consumer or their representative trains their own caregiver.

Home Care Services Allowed

What types of home care services can Personal Assistants provide?

The types of care that personal assistants can provide are much broader than those that traditional agency provided home health aides (HHAs) and personal care aides (PCAs) are allowed to administer. Unlike home health aides and personal care aides that are only allowed to provide custodial care such as dressing, bathing, and meal preparation, Personal Assistants are also allowed to provide skilled care such as wound care, giving insulin shots, and suctioning tracheostomies. Please see here and here. This is potentially a very significant benefit for home care consumers that require ongoing skilled care.

Applying for Medicaid (if you do not yet have Medicaid)

What if I don’t have Medicaid?

CDPAP is a Medicaid based program, and you must have Medicaid to enroll. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t have Medicaid. We have Medicaid specialists that can guide you through the process of applying for Medicaid.

Advantages of CDPAP Home Care VS Traditional Home Care

Are there any advantages that CDPAP home care has as opposed to traditional home care?

The following are some advantages of CDPAP home care VS traditional home care:

1. Close relatives such as children can get paid to provide care.
2. Personal assistants are not required to have special certification or licensing.
3. Personal assistants can administer skilled services such as wound care, giving insulin shots, and suctioning tracheostomies.

CDPAP Fiscal Intermediary (FI) of Choice

Edison Home Health Care

Okay, fine, we gave ourselves the title. But really, it’s true!

Edison Home Health Care distinguishes itself as one of the premier CDPAP fiscal intermediaries in New York City (NYC) and in all of New York (NY) State. When you work with Edison, you will experience white-glove service. We work hard to anticipate your every need as a consumer. Give us a call to experience the Edison difference.

We have convenient locations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Yonkers (Westchester), Spring Valley (Rockland), and Buffalo. But wherever you are in NY State, we can usually come to you to help complete any necessary paperwork. We work with consumers in Rochester, Albany, Syracuse, and throughout NY.