Nassau County Executive and Republican candidate for Governor Bruce Blakeman today called for a full and independent investigation into Governor Kathy Hochul’s handling of New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), warning that rampant fraud, abuse, and mismanagement have turned this program into a taxpayer-funded cash machine for scammers and middlemen.
Originally intended to help seniors receive care at home rather than in nursing homes, the program has been hijacked by fraud and abuse under Governor Hochul, now costing taxpayers more than $12 billion a year. That’s up from $2.5 billion in 2019.
“New York taxpayers are being robbed in broad daylight,” Blakeman said. “On Governor Hochul’s watch, a program meant to help seniors has become a magnet for fraud and abuse, hemorrhaging billions with no accountability. This is exactly why taxes are soaring and families are being priced out of New York, and Kathy Hochul is squarely to blame.”
Recent cases underscore the scale of abuse:
• A Manhattan man fraudulently collected $348,000 by claiming family members were caring for his mother — who was living in Bangladesh the entire time.
• Brooklyn adult daycare operator Zakia Khan pleaded guilty to a $68 million Medicaid fraud scheme involving kickbacks and phony billing.
• Healthcare executive Marianna Levin was sentenced to prison for stealing $100 million through fraudulent home health care claims.
• Other schemes have siphoned tens of millions more from taxpayers, with authorities identifying at least $1.2 billion in fraud and waste tied to CDPAP.
A former New York Medicaid fraud prosecutor with nearly three decades of experience warned the situation dwarfs other high-profile welfare scandals. “If you think Minnesota is a big deal, multiply that by 10,” he said.
Despite repeated warnings and the State Department of Health acknowledging the program has contributed to a “fiscal crisis,” spending on this program has increased under Governor Hochul. “This is corruption, plain and simple.” Blakeman said. “Every dollar wasted here is a dollar stolen from real patients, from seniors who truly need care, and from taxpayers who are already being crushed by the highest taxes in America.”
Blakeman called for:
• A full forensic audit of CDPAP spending
• Immediate tightening of eligibility and verification requirements
• Criminal referrals where fraud is identified
• Legislative action to end middleman abuse and restore fiscal discipline
“New Yorkers deserve a Medicaid system that helps the vulnerable — not one that enriches criminals and political insiders,” Blakeman said. “As governor, I will protect taxpayers, restore integrity, and end this culture of waste once and for all.”