In some big news out of New York state for those on the right who suspect corruption is deeply embedded in blue states and needs to be rooted out, it appears that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is investigating NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s process for rolling out a critical new health program and administrator for it, with many alleging that she was corrupt in how she managed the transition.
For reference, the program at issue is the New York Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), which allows Medicaid members who are eligible for home care services to choose and hire their own personal caregiver. Opponents of the changes made to the program’s oversight and administration, particularly those who are calling it out online, allege that Gov. Hochul was corrupt in how she chose the administrator of the new program.
Leading the charge against Hochul on the matter was the Libs of TikTok X account, which noted, in a fury-filled post on the matter, “What’s Hochul doing? Unionizing the whole program. She’s consolidating it all into one company. So now your relative caring for grandma is part of a union. The union is in your home. How did she choose the one company? She only looked at 4 bids and apparently it was known in Albany she would choose that one because the CEO donated to Democrats. This new version of the program has been tried in multiple other states and not only FAILED but ended up costing the taxpayers MORE.”
Secretary Kennedy’s involvement in the matter began with a post he made on X on the afternoon of Saturday, March 15. In that post, he announced the seeming opening of an investigation into the CDPAP program, the alleged locus of Gov. Hochul’s supposed corruption. He said, “I’ve directed @CMSGov to continue its careful review of the New York Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, with particular review of program integrity, consumer choice, and taxpayer value. CMS will continue to engage with New York as the state works towards submitting necessary documentation.”
Quote tweeting Secretary Kennedy’s announcement into the matter, the Libs of TikTok X account thanked him for beginning an investigation into the matter and gave a good, brief summary of the allegations regarding Gov. Hochul. The account wrote, “Thank you @SecKennedy for looking into this! The @TheJusticeDept should also investigate how Hochul chose the contract provider. Lawsuit details the corruption from NY Governor and how she RIGGED the bidding for a contract for a Medicaid program which is partially funded by the Federal Government. This whole program overhaul reeks of fraud!”
Then, about a week and a half after the investigation began, the Republican members of the New York State Senate thanked Secretary Kennedy for his opening of some oversight into their governor and the program’s bidding system, and asked him for a more direct investigation, though they didn’t call out her alleged corruption as openly as the Libs of TikTok did.
Beginning their letter, the NY State Senate Republicans thanked the secretary for his intervention and hinted at the alleged corruption scandal, while also asking directly for a direct investigation of the bidding process. They wrote, “We write to express our appreciation for your continued oversight of the New York Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) transition to a new statewide fiscal intermediary. Given the significant concerns surrounding this transition, we respectfully request that the Department of Health and Human Services open an investigation into its implementation and the motivations behind this deeply flawed process.”
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Continuing, they noted that tens of thousands of elderly and disabled New Yorkers haven’t been a been able to make the transition required by the program, and that it is experiencing a slew of technical programs, adding that many New Yorkers “may find themselves without services simply due to bureaucratic delays and confusion.”
Concluding, they noted that the program is critical for some New Yorkers and immediate action is needed to investigate what is going on. They said, “CDPAP is a lifeline for some of our most vulnerable citizens, enabling them to remain at home and avoid institutional care. If even one individual currently receiving services loses access due to this transition, it must not proceed as planned. Given these pressing concerns, we strongly urge you to investigate the implementation of this transition. The well-being of thousands of elderly and disabled New Yorkers depends on immediate action.”
Watch the Libs of TikTok’s video on the alleged scandal here: