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National question: Can a family caregiver get paid? Official programs decide eligibility.

New York Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP)

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a New York State Medicaid program that allows Medicaid members who are eligible for home care services to choose and hire their own personal assistant, including a friend or family member unless an exclusion applies. The consumer or designated representative directs the care, and all CDPAP recipients must work with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) as the statewide fiscal intermediary.

CDPAP lets Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers who are approved for home care services choose and hire their own personal assistant, including a friend or family member unless the person is the Medicaid member's spouse, designated representative, or the parent of a CDPAP consumer under age 21. The consumer or designated representative recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and terminates personal assistants, arranges backup coverage, coordinates services, keeps payroll records, and works with the fiscal intermediary. Effective September 1, 2025, most people age 21 or older initially seeking CDPAS must meet the minimum-needs requirement: limited assistance with physical maneuvering for more than two ADLs, or supervision with more than one ADL for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) is the required statewide fiscal intermediary. Official CDPAP service rates effective January 1, 2026 include NYC Basic $27.34/hr, Hard to Serve $29.34/hr, Live-In $354.63/day; Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester Basic $26.46/hr, HTS $26.97/hr, Live-In $338.10/day; and Rest of State Basic $24.73/hr, HTS $27.07/hr, Live-In $320.94/day. PPL's listed 2026 minimum PA base wages are $20.65/hr for NYC, $20.05/hr for Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester, and $18.65/hr for other counties. Actual paid hours depend on the consumer's service authorization.

Eligibility

  • U.S. citizenship or qualified immigrant status required
  • Care recipient must have a qualifying disability
  • Relationship: spouse, parent, other relative, non relative

Questions to ask the program

These are questions to ask the program, not a verdict on your eligibility. Confirm the current rules directly with the program.

  • Does the person receiving care live in New York? — Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
  • Does your relationship to the person — spouse, parent, other relative, or non relative — count for this program?
  • What counts as a qualifying disability or level of care need, and what documentation shows it?
  • Which citizenship or immigration statuses does the program accept, and which documents show it?
  • Is there a caregiver-specific department, coordinator, or support line? Ask for it by name. — Many agencies have one that isn’t advertised on the website.
  • What documents do you need from us to start an application?
  • Is there a waitlist right now, and how long is it?

Services

CDPAP lets Medicaid-eligible New Yorkers who are approved for home care services choose and hire their own personal assistant, including a friend or family member unless the person is the Medicaid member's spouse, designated representative, or the parent of a CDPAP consumer under age 21. The consumer or designated representative recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and terminates personal assistants, arranges backup coverage, coordinates services, keeps payroll records, and works with the fiscal intermediary. Effective September 1, 2025, most people age 21 or older initially seeking CDPAS must meet the minimum-needs requirement: limited assistance with physical maneuvering for more than two ADLs, or supervision with more than one ADL for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) is the required statewide fiscal intermediary. Official CDPAP service rates effective January 1, 2026 include NYC Basic $27.34/hr, Hard to Serve $29.34/hr, Live-In $354.63/day; Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester Basic $26.46/hr, HTS $26.97/hr, Live-In $338.10/day; and Rest of State Basic $24.73/hr, HTS $27.07/hr, Live-In $320.94/day. PPL's listed 2026 minimum PA base wages are $20.65/hr for NYC, $20.05/hr for Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester, and $18.65/hr for other counties. Actual paid hours depend on the consumer's service authorization.

How to apply

  • Request CDPAS from your MCO/Local Department of Social Services at enrollment, assessment, or reassessment

Use the official program page for application details: official program page.

  • medicaid (depends_on): Consumer must be Medicaid-eligible
  • medicaid-self-direction (companion): CDPAP is New York's implementation of Medicaid self-directed services