New York · Medicaid home care · family caregivers
Paying a family member to provide care in New York: CDPAP, agency care, and what to do when hours are cut
New York Medicaid pays for help at home in two forms: an aide from a licensed agency, or a personal assistant the consumer chooses, which can be a friend or a relative. This site explains both, using the State Department of Health’s own rules, and what to do when a notice reduces hours.
- Free to use
- Not a home care agency
- Not the government
NY Connects is free, for any age, on Medicaid or not (Relay 7-1-1). HIICAP is free at 1-800-701-0501.
Who can be the assistant
A friend or relative, but not the consumer’s spouse, their designated representative, or the parent of a consumer under 21.
Start here
Which one sounds like you?
I want to be paid to care for my parent
Who may and may not be the personal assistant, using the State Department of Health’s own rules.
Who can be the assistantCDPAP or an agency aide?
What self-directed care is, how it differs from an agency, and who the employer is in each case.
CDPAP, explainedA notice says our hours are being cut
The two appeal tracks and the 10-day window to keep services running while you appeal.
If hours are cutMedicaid says we have a “surplus”
Spend-down versus a pooled income trust, in plain English, with who decides what.
Spend-down vs pooled trust
The short version
Two ways Medicaid pays for care at home, and one deadline
Three things to know before you make any call. The guides cover each one in detail.
- 1
An aide from a licensed agency
The agency hires, trains, and schedules the aide. Your plan or the local district authorizes the hours after an assessment. - 2
A personal assistant you choose (CDPAP)
The consumer picks and directs the assistant, who can be a friend or relative. The statewide fiscal intermediary handles registration, timekeeping, and payroll. It does not decide hours. - 3
If a notice cuts hours
You have a short window, generally 10 days from the notice, to ask for a fair hearing with aid continuing so services keep running while you appeal. ICAN helps for free.
Help where you live
Your borough, your county name, and what usually happens for a family choosing CDPAP
The rules are the same across New York. The practical parts change by borough: which county goes on the form, where the nearest free counselor sits, and the mistakes people in your area tend to make.
Longer reads
The decisions families actually face
September 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Spend-down vs pooled income trust: what New York's surplus income rules mean
A person needs Medicaid home care, whether through an agency aide or the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, but their monthly income is above the Medicaid limit. Sometimes by a lot,…
September 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Can a family member be a paid CDPAP personal assistant in New York?
Often, yes. New York's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) lets a Medicaid member who is eligible for home care choose their own personal assistant,…
September 10, 2026 · 5 min read
CDPAP vs PCS in New York: choosing self-direction or agency care
New York Medicaid pays for help at home in two main forms. Personal care services (PCS) means a personal care aide, sometimes called a home attendant, employed by a licensed home care agency.
Official public resources (not affiliated)
Where the official answers live
Every fact on this site comes from these government programs. We link to them. They do not endorse this site, and this site is not the government.
Medicare.govThe official U.S. government Medicare siteVisit site- NY State of HealthNew York’s official health plan marketplaceVisit site
NYS Department of Health (Medicaid)New York State Medicaid program pagesVisit site- HIICAP (NYS Office for the Aging)Free, unbiased Medicare counseling, 1-800-701-0501Visit site
- NY ConnectsLong-term services and supports information, 1-800-342-9871Visit site
- NYC.gov (HRA and NYC Aging)Medicaid in the five boroughs and NYC AgingVisit site
- EPIC (NYS DOH)Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage, 1-800-332-3742Visit site
This site does not decide who gets home care or how many hours, and it is not a government agency. Want free help from a person?
NY Connects, New York’s free line for long-term services and supports. Free, any age, on Medicaid or not. They do not sell services. Relay 7-1-1