PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Leroy Comrie, State Senator from New York State Senate, on CDPAP Program Changes
2:02:52
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Senator Leroy Comrie testifies about the potential disaster of proposed changes to the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) in New York. He criticizes the plan to transition to a single entity for managing the program, highlighting concerns about service quality, impact on small businesses, and the loss of culturally competent care.
- Warns that the Department of Health cannot meet goals for registering people who need help
- Emphasizes the importance of diverse, community-specific CDPAP providers for different ethnicities and disabilities
- Calls for New Yorkers and City Council members to petition the governor to stop the proposed CDPAP changes
Leroy Comrie
2:02:52
Gentlemen and council members, thank you for allowing me to speak on this issue.
2:02:59
The CDPAP issue that has been set up by the governor has been is going to be a disaster.
2:03:06
We had a hearing recently of the health committee.
2:03:09
All of the advocates pointed out that there's no way the Department of Health can meet their goals to even register all of the people that need the help.
2:03:20
But even more importantly, the program is going to try to be run by one individual entity, which has a spotty record at best of delivery in other areas, makes it important for people to understand that we need to make sure that we diversify CDPAP.
2:03:39
CDPAP has been unique to our community.
2:03:42
CDPAPs deal with deaf community, deal with handicapped communities, deal with the different ethnicities around the state in a specific and focused way.
2:03:53
We are going to lose a lot small entrepreneurs who were nurses, who were small entrepreneurs that started businesses that have great records.
2:04:03
They're gonna lose their business, and we're gonna affect small and minority businesses all around the state.
2:04:14
It's gonna be a disaster also for patients because now they have to, almost like they do with Medicare and Social Security wait an hour and a half to get online to or get a phone call returned or get anything done.
2:04:28
This is a program that was a disaster because the state implemented it poorly.
2:04:34
They're not putting enough resources in, and now they're trying to even limit their resources more, by going to one entity, which is a national entity, which won't have the capacity to fill the needs for New Yorkers.
2:04:48
New Yorkers are used to prompt service.
2:04:50
They're used to service that meets their ethnicity needs and would understand their specifics, and the CDPAP program is designed by the state.
2:04:59
It's going to be a failure.
2:05:00
So I would appeal to the city council members.
2:05:03
I wanna thank speaker Adams for allowing this hearing to be held.
2:05:07
I wanna thank council member Schulman and the other council members that are putting this hearing together, and I would appeal to all New Yorkers to petition the governor to stop the CDPAP program as proposed.
2:05:19
Thank you.
Lynn Schulman
2:05:20
Thank you very much senator.
2:05:22
Really appreciate your testimony.
Leroy Comrie
2:05:24
Thank you.