Consumer advocates are urging a federal judge to strengthen protections for vulnerable New Yorkers still facing care disruptions under the state’s Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), following a troubled transition to a new administrator.
On May 15, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP submitted a pre-motion letter requesting an extension and modification of a preliminary injunction in Engesser et al v. McDonald—a class action lawsuit filed in March 2025. The case challenges major service failures that began when the New York State Department of Health cut the number of fiscal intermediaries from over 600 to a single statewide vendor: Public Partnerships LLC (PPL).
Advocates request extended court protection through August
Plaintiffs are asking U.S. District Judge Frederic Block to extend the existing court-ordered protections from June 6 to August 15. They also seek additional relief aimed at stabilizing access to care for older and Disabled New Yorkers enrolled in CDPAP.
“Our team is hearing daily from CDPAP consumers across the state who are still unable to register with PPL, whose personal assistants are still unable to register with PPL, and whose personal assistants are not able to clock time or be paid correctly,” said Elizabeth Jois, supervising attorney in NYLAG’s Special Litigation Unit. “What is crystal clear to everyone in the CDPAP community is that the transition to PPL has been chaotic.”
Lawsuit seeks targeted help for those missing care
Under the proposed injunction changes, the Department of Health would be required to:
- Identify every CDPAP participant who missed care in the past two weeks
- Assign one-on-one facilitators to help resolve registration and payroll issues
- Ensure those facilitators have full access to PPL’s systems
Advocates argue that current facilitators lack the access needed to assist consumers and workers effectively. Many personal assistants remain unpaid or have left their roles due to delays.
The plaintiffs also asked the court to mandate clearer reporting requirements and new accountability measures to track compliance.
Timesheet exemption deadline approaches
The state’s temporary exemption allowing paper timesheets ends May 17. After that date, personal assistants must use:
- The Time4Care mobile app
- PPL@Home web portal
- PPL’s telephony system
Only workers with an approved exemption will be permitted to continue submitting paper timesheets. Instructions on how to request an exemption are available at nylag.org/engesser.
Help for CDPAP participants and caregivers
Resources for those impacted by the transition:
- CDPAP Transition Hotline: 833-947-8666 (Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- State email: [email protected]
- NYLAG legal assistance: [email protected]
A court conference is scheduled for May 20 at 4 p.m.
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