How to Become a CDPAP Paid Caregiver

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a wonderful initiative in New York that allows patients to choose their caregivers. They can hire friends or family members to help as caregivers or “Personal Assistants” and assist with the daily needs of their home care.

In this way, family, friends, and loved ones—who would likely provide care regardless of the situation—benefit from being paid for their valuable care. The patient can work with someone they feel comfortable with within their home.

If you have a senior loved one, such as your parent or grandparent, who would like you to care for them as they grow older, you can do this through the CDPAP program.

As a paid caregiver, you can ensure that your loved one gets the best care possible from someone they love and trust. If you are interested in taking part in this innovative program as a paid caregiver, there are certain steps you need to take. Here is an overview of the steps on how to become a paid caregiver and answers to common questions:

There are two main parts to the CDPAP Program. The consumer and the personal assistant. The consumer is the patient who requires the care, and they are the one who initiates the program—they also function as their caregiver’s employer. This will be your loved one, which you’ll regularly take care of. These are the steps to be aware of from their side:

• They must be eligible for Medicaid: The consumer must already be enrolled or be willing to enroll in Medicaid Managed Care or Managed Medicaid Long Term Care to qualify for the CDPAP program.
• They then need to call their insurance plan to advise them of their interest in the CDPAP program.
• They must choose a fiscal intermediary, for example, the Special Touch CDPAP program.
• Next, they must recruit, interview and screen their prospective personal assistant(s). This could be you or other family members they trust.
• The consumer asks their assistant to sign up with the selected fiscal intermediary.
• They need to request that their doctor complete the Medical Orders for Home Care required by their health plan and submit the required documentation to their health plan (view the Physician’s Order form here and the Medical Request for Home Care here).
• Schedule and wait for an in-home assessment to be completed by a registered nurse—there are typically two assessments: the first is from the state (Maximus), and the second is by the consumer’s health plan.
• The health plan will then advise the consumer and the fiscal intermediary of the approval of the personal assistant’s services and, if approved, how many hours per week you have been approved to work for.
• After services have been approved, the consumer and fiscal intermediary wait for the consumer’s health plan to distribute an authorization for CDPAP services—this is what will ultimately initiate CDPAP services to begin.

• Have an eligible consumer who is willing to hire you. If you have a parent or a grandparent who needs assistance with any kind of activities, they need to hire you for you to be an eligible candidate.
• Contact the consumer’s selected fiscal intermediary (as per the steps above).
• Complete a physical exam: This is a standard physical exam you can do with your doctor or with us at Special Touch Home Care. The exam ensures you are physically capable of caring for someone and don’t have limitations that may hinder or limit your ability to do so. It includes a drug screening, blood tests, and screening for rubella and rubeola.
• Finally, you need to complete payroll documents.

The Personal Assistant role is open to a broad sector of the population, but what qualifications should you meet when learning how to become a paid caregiver?

• A consumer must be willing to hire you.
• You must be authorized to work in the U.S and of legal working age.
• You need to complete a PA application package (supplied by the Fiscal Intermediary)
• You must complete a pre-employment physical exam to ensure you are physically fit to assist senior citizens in their daily activities.

There are also a few things to bear in mind on what disqualifies you from being a PA.

• You cannot be the consumer’s spouse or proxy/designated representative
• You cannot be the consumer’s parent or legal guardian with limited exceptions.

Reach out to us to see these exceptions and to learn more about how to become a paid caregiver and who you can be a paid caregiver for.

There isn’t a fixed salary for paid caregivers in the CDPAP Program; rates vary according to the state, health plan, and fiscal intermediary you choose to work with. Our hourly pay rates range between $13.20 – $19.09 per hour and $19.80 – $28.63 per overtime hour.

By the beginning of 2018, these rates will go up significantly; however, the state is still negotiating the terms of the proposed increase for CDPAP workers. Other factors influencing the rates include time paid off, medical insurance, and other benefits.

The timing depends on each client and their insurance carrier. Some patients can have their services set up within three weeks, while for others, it can take up to four months.

Many factors, the largest, typically the consumer’s selected insurance, play a part. This being said, you may have a lot of time to prepare to be a paid caregiver for your loved one.

During this time, you can learn all about what they need done and figure out how you can help them with this.

At Special Touch Home Care, we work as a fiscal intermediary, and the process begins with the consumer calling us at 718-340-3969. They must answer a few questions to best guide them, such as their biographic information, health insurance information, and doctor’s information. They will then be given a medical order, which they need to take to their doctor.

The personal assistant then visits one of our offices to apply and pick up their consumer agreement package. At this point, they are assigned a care representative who helps to guide them through enrolling. This representative knows exactly what needs to be done and how to get it done stress-free for both you and your loved ones. This process can ensure that you can take care of your loved one well and that you are ready to start.

Working with organizations like Special Touch is how we take care of the paperwork and logistics so that the consumer and PA can focus on the care.

The consumer works with their insurance company to set a mutually agreed upon schedule. The insurance company then passes this information to Special Touch. We work with a smart telephone system where PAs call in and out every day that they work. The calls must match their schedule—this is how we log the hours worked and ensure timely payment to the PAs, who are paid weekly.

If personal assistants need to modify their schedule, they can call us as soon as a change is needed, and when possible, we will help update the system accordingly.

Your loved one may need daily care, care every other day, or care only on the weekends. Whatever their schedule is, you must be available during it, but we know things come up.

If you have something that doesn’t allow you to work one day a week or for part of a normal shift, reach out to us because we will be able to figure all of that out for you. This way, you can continue to receive the right pay, and your loved one will receive the best care.

Discuss the CDPAP program with your loved ones and see if this would be a great fit for them.