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New York Medicaid home care · CDPAP problem-solving guide
Last updated: 18 October 2026
If your Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) worker is not getting paid, cannot log hours, or is missing from the system, first find out whether the problem is with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) or the office that approves care. They have different jobs.
Bottom Line
CDPAP is a New York Medicaid home-care service, not a cash grant. Since 1 April 2025, PPL has been the only statewide fiscal intermediary handling CDPAP worker registration and payroll. PPL does not decide how many home-care hours a person needs. Your Medicaid health plan or local social services district handles that decision. For a registration or pay problem, call PPL at 1-833-247-5346. For missing or reduced care hours, contact the health plan or local district as well.
Start Here
- Check authorization. Ask the plan or district whether CDPAP is approved, for which dates, and for how many hours. Compare this with the Service Authorizations tab in PPL@Home.
- Check the worker. Ask PPL whether the consumer and personal assistant (PA) are registered, linked together, cleared to work, and able to submit time.
- Check the exact unpaid shift. Write down its date, hours, approval status, any error message, and the next payroll date. Ask PPL for a case or reference number.
| What went wrong? | Start with | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| PA not registered or linked | PPL | Missing onboarding step and start date |
| Hours missing or reduced | Health plan or local DSS/HRA | Written authorization and care-plan review |
| Timesheet pending or pay missing | PPL | Exact payroll hold code and correction |
| New home-care application | NY Independent Assessor; then plan or district | Assessment and service decision |
| Care is unsafe while a case stalls | Plan care manager or local DSS/HRA immediately | Safe coverage and urgent review |
What Changed in 2025–26?
New York replaced the former network of CDPAP fiscal intermediaries with PPL, effective 1 April 2025. The state CDPAP guidance says this changed the payroll administrator, not the basic right of an approved consumer to choose a qualified assistant. Both must complete PPL registration. A former agency may help as an approved facilitator, but cannot operate as a separate CDPAP payroll intermediary.
Another change began 1 September 2025: new minimum-needs rules for certain applicants. Some existing users have legacy protections. These rules are separate from the payroll switch. PPL also addresses worker training, health checks, and timekeeping. A July 2026 policy reviews unusually high worker hours in Managed Long Term Care (MLTC).
Who Can Use CDPAP?
The person who needs care must qualify for New York Medicaid home-care services. They must have a stable medical condition, an assessed need, and the ability to direct a worker or use a designated representative. The consumer, or that representative, chooses and supervises the assistant. See the CDPAP program regulation for the legal requirements.
An adult child or another qualifying adult relative may be paid, but the consumer’s spouse or designated representative cannot be that consumer’s paid assistant. The worker must also meet hiring, health, and training rules. For a fuller comparison with other family-pay paths, see our New York caregiver pay guide.
For some adults first seeking personal care or CDPAP from 1 September 2025, the minimum-needs policy requires help with physical movement in more than two daily living activities. There is a different supervision test for people with documented dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. People already authorized before that date, or meeting certain continuous MLTC enrollment rules, may have legacy protection. Do not assume a PPL registration problem means your Medicaid eligibility has ended.
If Medicaid has not approved services yet, call the New York Independent Assessor Program (NYIAP) at 1-855-222-8350. The plan or district must still authorize services. Your county’s contact is in the local social services directory. In New York City, the relevant local agency is the Human Resources Administration (HRA). For local support, our New York aging offices guide lists places to ask for help.
Complete PPL Registration Without Losing Track
The official PPL program page gives separate steps for consumers and workers. The health plan or district sends PPL the authorization. PPL then helps the consumer create an account, sign the required agreement, and link an approved worker. The worker completes employment, tax, identity, payment, and health documents. PPL notifies the parties of the worker’s start date.
Do not count on work being payable merely because someone has provided care before PPL confirms the account and approved dates. If you have unpaid 2025 transition work, ask about the state’s late-registrant payment directives. Those special policies do not guarantee payment for every disputed hour.
- Confirm the consumer’s Medicaid Client Identification Number and the correct health plan.
- Confirm PPL has received the latest authorization, with matching dates and service codes.
- Check whether the PA is linked to the correct consumer and may begin work.
- Confirm all required forms, annual health assessment, and training are complete.
- Ask how to use PPL@Home and Time4Care, or request a phone-based option.
PPL states that workers who started with it in 2026 must complete CDPAP training within 90 days of their PPL start date. A worker’s required health assessment is another matter. From 27 May 2026, PPL began assigning some newly joining workers to an additional assessment provider. Follow the instructions PPL sends for your case, not an old agency’s paperwork.
No computer? Call PPL, book an in-person session, or choose a local group from its approved facilitator list. Facilitators may help with forms and electronic visit verification. They are not another payroll provider. Check the exact county and language served before visiting.
Fix a Missing Paycheck or Timesheet
Under PPL’s current payroll instructions, personal assistants enter time by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Consumers or designated representatives approve it by noon Eastern on Sunday. PPL’s regular pay day is Thursday, provided the entry is payable and meets the processing schedule. Late approval can push pay to a later run.
Workers can use Time4Care or other allowed timekeeping routes. PPL lists a call-in option at 1-833-278-3959 for time entry and approval. A paper timesheet needs an approved exception; it is not the default. For people with poor cell coverage, PPL says Time4Care supports offline clocking, then later syncing.
| What you see | What to check first | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| No submitted shift | Time entry or app sync | Submit or correct actual work time |
| Waiting for approval | Consumer/representative approval | Ask that person to review the shift |
| Pended time | Error shown in PPL@Home | Ask PPL which record or authorization fails |
| Sent to payroll | Next stated pay date | Verify payment method and mailing details |
| Hours above authorization | Plan-approved units and dates | Call plan or district; do not invent replacement hours |
In PPL@Home, open the Timesheet tab and read the exact processing status. The personal assistant resources explain pending payments, including missing member details and conflicting shifts. Also check for overlapping workers. If direct deposit was newly set up or changed, PPL says it may take one or two pay periods; a paper check may arrive in the meantime.
Example: A daughter clocks the correct hours, but her father does not approve the timesheet by Sunday noon. First check whether approval is missing. Do not submit new or false work hours to make the entry pass. Ask PPL when the approved entry can be processed, and keep its reply.
Reality Check: Service Rates Are Not Wages
The state’s 2026 CDPAP rates are Medicaid service reimbursement rates, not a worker’s take-home hourly pay. Ask PPL to confirm your base rate, work location, deductions, and pay statement. Also, PPL cannot pay time outside the approved service authorization simply because care was needed.
Protect Care During a Payroll or Agency Problem
The 2025 fiscal intermediary change did not itself cancel an existing CDPAP service approval or remove the consumer’s choice of a qualified assistant. Yet a person can still face a gap if the worker has not completed onboarding, has been placed on hold, or cannot submit time. Ask the plan care manager or district to help arrange safe coverage while registration is fixed. The consumer or representative still arranges and supervises assistants.
Use the state’s CDPAP contact guidance to find the correct escalation route. A worker-pay question belongs with PPL first; a care-plan or service authorization change belongs with the plan or district. You may need both calls.
For MLTC consumers, MLTC Policy 26.02, effective 22 July 2026, addresses cases with very high hours worked by one assistant. Reports flag 84 or more hours in one week for plan review; 112 or more meets the policy’s definition of excessive hours. These figures are not a new statewide limit on the consumer’s authorized care hours. They trigger oversight of staffing and safety. Ask the plan about backup workers if one person is covering almost all care.
If no family worker can safely cover the approved schedule, ask about agency-provided personal care instead of leaving the person without help. Our New York home care guide explains other coverage routes. For caregiver relief, see respite care options. These do not mean Medicaid will pay two providers for the same service hours.
Denied, Delayed, or Unable to Get Care?
First separate a payroll error from a Medicaid decision. For pay or registration, request a PPL case number and exact missing item. For a denial, reduction, or end of services, request the plan’s or district’s written notice, reason, effective date, and appeal instructions. Do not rely on a phone promise when care is being cut.
New York’s MLTC complaint guidance lists 1-866-712-7197 for managed long-term care complaints. The CDPAP state page also lists 518-474-5888 for consumers outside managed care who work through a local district, after trying PPL and that district. The state lists statewideFI@health.ny.gov for CDPAP concerns.
A Medicaid service denial or cut may carry plan appeal and state fair-hearing rights. The state’s managed care appeals guidance explains the first steps; the fair-hearing line is 1-800-342-3334. Follow the deadline on your actual notice. If services are being reduced, ask at once whether continuing aid is available during the appeal. Do not assume an ordinary payroll dispute alone qualifies for a Medicaid fair hearing.
When someone cannot safely stay alone, call the plan, local district, hospital discharge team, or emergency services as the situation requires. New York’s Immediate Need instructions and DOH-5786 form describe a faster review route for qualifying people. This is not automatic approval or a general fix for every unpaid worker. If the household needs separate urgent food or housing help, our New York emergency assistance guide covers those needs.
Records to Keep and Phone Scripts
Keep the Medicaid ID, plan or district name, current authorization notice, PA’s PPL start date, registration status, timesheet dates, error screenshots, pay stubs, and every case number. Do not give sensitive records to unknown callers. For long-term disability support beyond payroll, our New York disability help guide has related routes.
Calling PPL about unpaid hours
“I am calling about an approved CDPAP consumer and personal assistant. The shift on [date] has not been paid. Please check the time entry, approval, authorization, and any hold code. What must we fix, and what is the case number?”
Calling the plan or district
“We need to confirm the active CDPAP authorization, approved dates and hours, and whether PPL received it. Care may be interrupted. Who can help arrange safe coverage and give us the decision in writing?”
Escalating to New York DOH
“We contacted PPL and our plan or local district on [dates]. The unresolved problem is [brief issue]. We have case numbers and records. Which state team can review this and how should we send the documents safely?”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Asking PPL to increase hours that only the plan or district can authorize.
- Assuming a former fiscal intermediary still processes CDPAP payroll.
- Using a nonapproved facilitator or giving an unknown caller bank details.
- Entering unworked hours, overlapping two workers, or ignoring a pending error.
- Missing an appeal deadline while trying only to fix a payroll screen.
Resumen en español
En Nueva York, CDPAP es un servicio de cuidado en casa de Medicaid, no una subvención. Desde el 1 de abril de 2025, PPL administra la inscripción de asistentes y la nómina. Para problemas de pago o registro, llame a 1-833-247-5346. El plan de Medicaid o la oficina local de servicios sociales decide las horas autorizadas. Guarde las fechas, avisos y números de caso. Si reducen o niegan el servicio, pida la notificación escrita y las instrucciones para apelar. Si la atención en casa se interrumpe, solicite ayuda inmediata al plan o a la oficina local.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my family caregiver after the PPL switch?
The fiscal intermediary switch did not itself remove a consumer’s right to choose an eligible assistant. The consumer and worker must complete PPL requirements, and the worker must be approved to provide authorized care.
Can my former agency still pay my CDPAP worker?
No. PPL is New York’s sole statewide CDPAP fiscal intermediary. Some former agencies may offer help as approved PPL facilitators, but they do not run a separate CDPAP payroll.
Why is a CDPAP timesheet not paid?
Possible reasons include late approval, a missing authorization, an onboarding hold, an error in time entry, or hours beyond the approved amount. Check the exact status in PPL@Home and call PPL about the listed reason.
Does PPL decide my home-care hours?
No. Your Medicaid health plan or local social services district makes the service authorization decision. PPL handles fiscal intermediary work, including registration and payroll within authorized hours.
What if CDPAP care is reduced or stopped?
Ask the plan or district for its written notice and appeal instructions right away. Ask whether continuing aid applies. For immediate safety needs, request a care coverage plan rather than waiting for payroll or an appeal to finish.
About This Guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
Editorial note
This guide is produced based on our Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources, regularly updated and monitored, but not affiliated with any government agency and not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections
Please note that despite our careful review process, errors may still occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections and we will respond within 72 hours.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the official program before acting.
Last updated: 18 October 2026 · Next review: 16 January 2027
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