PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jose Hernandez on CDPAP and Resolution 642
1:48:24
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Jose Hernandez testified in support of Resolution 642 and Senator Rivera's legislation to protect disabled and older New Yorkers who rely on CDPAP services. He expressed concerns about the transition of CDPAP to PPL, a company with a poor reputation in other states, and the potential negative impacts on care recipients.
- Hernandez highlighted the flawed transition process and the difficulties many disabled and older New Yorkers may face, potentially leading to loss of care or institutionalization.
- He criticized the governor, Department of Health, and PPL for seeing numbers instead of people, and thanked the city council and Senator Rivera for recognizing CDPAP recipients as human beings.
- The testimony underscored the importance of CDPAP in allowing disabled individuals to live independently in the community.
Jose Hernandez
1:48:24
Hello.
1:48:25
My name is Jose Hernandez and I would like to thank the city council for your leadership and the opportunity to speak today.
1:48:33
I am here to express my support for resolutions six forty two, and I want to thank the city council for recognizing the importance of senator Rivera's legislation in protecting the disabled and older New Yorkers who rely on CDPAP services.
1:48:49
Last year, in a deal orchestrated by eleven ninety nine, the governor, and possibly PPL, the consumer directed personal assistance program, the program that hundreds of thousands of disabled and older New Yorkers rely on, was sold to the highest bidder, which was PPL, a company with a horrible reputation in other states.
1:49:09
The RFP seemed tailored for PPL to win and disrupt the care as they have done in other states.
1:49:18
Many of us were concerned about the transition, and that transition has started, and many of us are terrified of what our future holds.
1:49:29
For some of us, it may mean nothing.
1:49:31
However, for many of us, the reality is that we are going to lose our trusted PAs, the people who kept us safe during the pandemic and continue to keep us healthy and living in the community.
1:49:45
The Department of Health and the governor and PPL have continued to claim that everything will be covered, everyone will be covered.
1:49:54
However, the transition process is extremely flawed.
1:49:57
I have known this because I have the opportunity to speak to others who have started the process and have experienced complications, which are terrifying to me.
1:50:10
For many disabled and older New Yorkers, the process is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
1:50:17
They will have to make difficult decisions, either go to go without care or face institutionalization, a fate many of us consider worse than death.
Lynn Schulman
1:50:28
You could go ahead, finish.
Jose Hernandez
1:50:30
Imagine being disabled all of your life or becoming disabled and able to successfully live independently in the community because of CDPAP only to have organizations like eleven ninety nine, the Department of Health, and elected officials like governor the governor disrupt our lives.
1:50:48
They only read they only see numbers numbers and not people.
1:50:52
For that reason, I wanna thank the city council and senator Rivera personally because you have always seen the disabled and older New Yorkers as human beings with lives, not just numbers.
1:51:06
I could continue to talk about this at length, but I wanna just thank you all.
Lynn Schulman
1:51:12
Thank you, Jose.
1:51:12
We really appreciate your testimony.
Jose Hernandez
1:51:14
Yeah.
1:51:15
Bakari.