CDPAP is not the same in every state.

CDPAP, specifically, is a New York program

It's a common mix-up: CDPAP, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, is a New York State Medicaid benefit. Other states run their own consumer-directed care programs, often with similar goals but different names, rules, and pay structures.

How other states handle the same idea

• Many states offer a version through Medicaid's Self-Directed Care option, sometimes called Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Services or Personal Care Services with a self-direction option
• Some states route this through a Structured Family Caregiving model instead, which pays a stipend rather than an hourly wage
• Eligibility rules vary — a few states exclude spouses from being paid caregivers, which New York does not
• Fiscal intermediary requirements differ, affecting how payroll and tax withholding are handled

Why this matters for families who relocate

A family moving out of New York with an active CDPAP case can't simply transfer the program — the new state's equivalent program has to be applied for separately, on its own timeline, and the caregiver relationship may need to be re-verified under different rules.

We get calls from families assuming CDPAP travels with them across state lines. It doesn't — but in nearly every case, there's a comparable program waiting on the other end, just under a different name.

What we recommend

If a move is being considered, starting the new state's application process before the move, rather than after, avoids the coverage gap that otherwise tends to open up in the weeks after relocating.