Keep CDPAP records in three connected groups: what care is authorized, what care actually occurred and what changed. A calendar alone cannot show all three. Keep authorization notices beside accurate service records, and record who was told about a change and what follow-up is still needed.
Checked November 5, 2026. This is a practical household organizer, not legal, payroll or audit advice. CaringNYC does not collect these records or resolve individual claims. Use the current official instructions for required submissions.
Build a folder that answers a specific question
Organize the folder so another authorized person can find the current document without confusing it with an older version. You can use paper or secure electronic storage. Mark earlier authorizations as superseded while keeping them available to explain the history.
- Current authorization: service plan, authorized tasks and schedule information, effective dates and notices of changes.
- People and responsibilities: current representative information, assistant contact details and the household’s backup arrangement.
- Service records: actual visits, submitted time entries, approvals, errors and correction confirmations.
- Correspondence: letters, relevant messages and a dated call log.
- Changes and follow-up: what happened, which office was notified and the response.
This is a suggested organization system, not an official retention schedule. Ask PPL and the plan which records must be kept, for how long and in what format. Keep worker banking, identity and health documents in the appropriate official channels rather than duplicating them in a general household binder.
Distinguish scheduled, worked, submitted and paid time
These are four different facts. The schedule shows what was intended. A visit record shows what happened. Submission and approval are administrative steps. A payroll result shows what was processed. When a discrepancy appears, compare those stages rather than changing the visit record to resemble a paycheck.
Under Social Services Law § 365-f, the fiscal intermediary maintains personnel and time records for payroll. The household still needs a reliable way to check the service information it is asked to verify. Record actual services and actual times; do not approve a planned shift that was missed or extend an entry merely to use the authorization.
A fictional time-record example
An assistant is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon but arrives at 9:20 a.m. and finishes at noon. The elapsed visit is 2 hours 40 minutes, not the scheduled 3 hours. Record the actual event and ask PPL how to enter it correctly under the applicable service code. Do not invent an earlier arrival or move the missing minutes to another day.
This example concerns elapsed time only. It does not establish a payroll entitlement, rounding rule or billable amount. If a system rejects an accurate entry, preserve the error message and seek correction instructions.
Check the current submission and approval instructions
On the checked date, PPL’s CDPAP resources page says time entries must be submitted for approval by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Saturday and consumers or designated representatives must approve hours by noon Eastern on Sunday. It describes weekly Thursday pay. Recheck those instructions when setting reminders, especially around payroll changes.
PPL provides more than one timekeeping method. Ask which approved method you should use if internet access or a device is unavailable. Keep a private factual note while resolving an error, but do not assume that a personal notebook replaces an official time submission. Never share login credentials to make approval more convenient.
Use a change log to route the issue
| Change | First contact to confirm next steps | Record in your log |
|---|---|---|
| Care needs or ability to direct care changes | Medicaid plan or local district | Date, observed change, review requested and response |
| Assistant or schedule changes | Person directing care; PPL for registration or payroll implications; plan for authorization questions | Last and proposed first dates; coverage gap; confirmation received |
| Address or contact changes | Plan or district and PPL, as relevant | Which records were updated and effective date |
| Hospital admission or discharge | Plan or district and PPL | Admission/discharge dates and instructions for services and time entry |
| Missing or incorrect pay | PPL support | Service dates, entry status, error and case reference |
For any entry, add the date and time of contact, staff member, secure documents supplied, promised action and follow-up date. Telling one office does not demonstrate that every other relevant record has been updated. Ask each office what else the family must do.
Keep notices separate from ordinary service problems
A denial, reduction or termination notice needs prompt attention to its written appeal instructions. It is different from a payroll troubleshooting ticket. Preserve the notice and envelope, note when it arrived and ask a qualified advocate about the applicable appeal route and any request to continue services during the dispute. Do not wait for a payroll callback before addressing a notice deadline.
ICAN, New York’s ombudsprogram for Medicaid members needing long-term care or behavioral health services, lists 844-614-8800 and TTY 711. NYC311’s fair-hearing page lists OTDA at 800-342-3334. Managed care appeal steps depend on the decision; ask an advocate to read the actual notice rather than applying a generic deadline.
Your blank contact sheet
Copy and fill in: plan/care manager and after-hours route; PPL support and reference number; local district contact if applicable; primary and backup assistants; representative if applicable; ICAN or another qualified advocate. PPL support is 1-833-247-5346, as listed on its resources page. Verify household-specific contacts against current correspondence.
Start by finding the current authorization and checking the latest service entries against actual visits. For broader navigation, use official home care starting points, CDPAP resources, Home Care & Senior Services or CaringNYC.