On Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed the latest organizations that will collaborate with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), the administrator of the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). 

In November, Hochul revealed that PPL, and the state, would partner with a network of 24 community-based home care providers to improve CDPAP.

The newly announced partners are 11 independent living centers.

Broadly, CDPAP is a Medicaid-funded home care program that allows individuals seeking care to hire the caregiver of their choice. This usually means informal caregivers, which are paid for their services through the program.

Last year, as part of the passage of the 2025 budget, CDPAP went from having hundreds of fiscal intermediaries to just one. PPL — an Alpharetta, Georgia-based financial management services company — was awarded the fiscal intermediary contract in October.

In addition to revealing PPL’s latest partners, Hochul also announced that CDPAP consumers can start registering with PPL, as part of the transition process.

“Our statewide partnership will protect CDPAP and ensure continued access to high-quality home care for New Yorkers across the State,” Hochul said in a press statement. “I’m pleased that independent living centers will play an important role as partners in this effort, as we create a better and stronger CDPAP for home care users and caregivers.”

The 11 independent living centers are: AIM Independent Living Center, ARISE Inc., Finger Lakes Independence Center Inc., Independent Living Inc., Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley Inc., Long Island Center for Independent Living Inc., Rockland Independent Living Center dba Bridges, Resource Center for Independent Living, Southern Tier Independence Center, The Center for Disability Rights and Western New York Independent Living Inc.

“We commend the governor’s commitment to ensuring that CDPAP consumers have access to the full spectrum of services Independent Living Centers provide, empowering people with disabilities to live independently in the community,” Lindsay Miller, executive director of the New York Association on Independent Living, said in the statement. “As founders of the program, our commitment to advocating for the independence and dignity of people with disabilities will remain at the forefront of our efforts as we continue to champion the future of CDPAP.”

The announcement of PPL’s newest partners comes off the heels of the news that a new hotline assisting with the transition of CDPAP received 1,000 calls on its first day. Advocacy group Caring Majority Rising encouraged CDPAP consumers to call the hotline on Jan 6., as part of a collective action effort.

Maria Perrin, president and chief strategy officer at PPL, reported that only some of the first 1,000 calls were from individuals who weren’t trying to register with PPL, according to Spectrum News.

PPL has set up an automated message that addresses this and prepares CDPAP consumers for high call volume wait times.