From the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State:
Tell the Assembly: Pass A1926 For Home Care Data Transparency
"Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” -- Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
When you started using CDPA, you likely needed to choose a managed care plan. Maybe you needed to choose another plan at some point after that. How did you choose that plan? Was it based on which would be best for you or on actual information on how they provide services or how many of their members are forced to transfer out of their homes and into nursing homes or other institutions?
Probably not, because while all of this information exists, it is not readily available to the public - or lawmakers!
Information is critical for consumer choice and ensuring high quality services are provided through our Medicaid system, but when it comes to CDPA and home care, those who most need this information are left in the dark. While the Department of Health (DOH) has published data about Medicaid nursing home placements for years, it has not shared the same data for Medicaid community-based long-term care like CDPA in more than a decade since the switch from fee-for-service to managed care. We want to change that and we need your help.
A.1926 (Gonzalez-Rojas) would require that the DOH post anonymous data about CDPA, including how many people use the program and the average number of service hours used per managed care plan per county. Such basic information about which plans approve the most or least hours in a region in a format that is easily accessible will help consumers determine which plans might be the best fit for them. It will also help lawmakers better understand the landscape of CDPA and long-term care, allowing them to improve the service overall.
This bill passed the Senate in May 2023 but is stuck in the Assembly Ways and Means committee. To become law, it must pass the Assembly and be signed by the Governor. There are only six days left on the legislative calendar and one of our last chances for it to pass this year. Act today to make sure your Assembly Member is aware of the bill, supports it, and will tell the Speaker to bring it to the floor for a vote.
Because the future of your health care shouldn't be made by blindly throwing darts at the wall.
If you are interested in disability advocacy issues like this one, contact Colleen Downs, Systems Advocate at:
518-563-9058 Ext. 110
The Mission of the North Country Center for Independence is to help people with disabilities to live more independent and productive lives, and promote better policies and community understanding of disability issues. NCCI serves people with disabilities, families, and the community on issues related to physical and mental disabilities. NCCI is led and staffed mostly by people with disabilities. It is one of the 41 Independent Living Centers in New York State. There are also hundreds of similar centers throughout the United States. NCCI serves Clinton and Essex Counties, New York.