Today, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C,I-Ballston) attended a press conference calling to restore funding to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a statewide Medicaid program that providing alternative ways of receiving at-home care services, allowing consumers more control over who provides their care and how it is provided. The press conference was held by Assemblywoman Missy Miller (R,C,I-Atlantic Beach), Angela’s House Founder Bob Policastro, Disability Rights Advocate Douglas King, and members of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State.

This year, Gov. Cuomo proposed a $75 million cut to New York’s Medicaid for Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, which would essentially terminate the program. The 2019-20 Executive Budget would replace the CDPAP with a stripped-down version of the program that would eliminate 9 out of every 10 fiscal intermediaries in the state and create a new definition of personal assistant that would eliminate the ability for family or loved ones to be hired.

“These cuts will significantly affect individuals with disabilities and senior citizens who require at-home care as an alternative to other expensive programs,” said Walsh. “One of the main advantages of this program is the freedom it provides to patients, giving them the ability to hire friends or loved ones to work for them as at-home assistants, and having a flexible day-to-day schedule, rather than having a schedule created by a third- party. Gov. Cuomo’s proposed decision to cut CDPAP and replace it with a less-funded version sends a disheartening message to the disabled and senior communities. I urge him to reconsider and restore funding back to this program.”