Concepts of Independence

What Concepts of Independence does

Concepts of Independence, Inc. (d/b/a COINY) is a New York-based nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that pioneered the original Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) program. The organization serves as a Medicaid fiscal intermediary, enabling severely disabled and chronically ill individuals to hire, train, and supervise their own Personal Assistant home care workers, allowing them to live independently rather than in institutional settings. COINY bills New York State Medicaid based on consumer authorizations and operates at a lower administrative cost than traditional home care, a positioning the organization claims saves the state Medicaid program millions of dollars annually.

The organization's core technology stack consists of a CDPAS program administration platform complemented by a Personal Assistant Online Database (for matching consumers with PAs by schedule, location, skills, and language), a Consumer Web Portal for account management, and Peer Counseling Video Tutorials covering hiring, training, and fraud prevention. The product surface is complemented by the Special Wishes Program for pediatric consumers. Operationally, COINY runs five regional offices across New York State covering the 5 NYC boroughs plus Albany, Clinton, Delaware, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Suffolk, Warren, and Westchester counties, staffed by named Regional Directors.

The business model is structured entirely around Medicaid fiscal intermediary services in a single state. COINY's go-to-market is community-led, relying on advocacy networks, peer counseling, disability community events, Disability Pride Parades, annual galas, and an annual Advocacy Day in Albany to drive consumer enrollment via phone (844-NY-CDPAS) and website. The organization is E-Verify certified and was founded by the very disabled individuals who became its consumers, embedding a consumer-directed ethos into ownership and operations. There is no evidence of venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership.

Name

Concepts of Independence

Legal name

Concepts of Independence, Inc.

Website

https://coiny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Concepts of Independence (COINY) is a New York nonprofit founded in 1980 that pioneered the CDPAS program, serving as a Medicaid fiscal intermediary enabling severely disabled individuals to hire and direct their own home care workers across 20+ New York State counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Home Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Consumer directed home care
• Medicaid fiscal intermediary
• Personal assistance services
• Disability support services
• Home care program administration

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medicaid Fiscal Intermediary Services: COINY serves as the fiscal intermediary between Consumers and Medicaid, billing Medicaid based on Consumer authorizations. The program is administered at lower cost than traditional home care, saving New York State Medicaid millions of dollars per year.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Concepts of Independence, Inc. (COINY) operates as a Medicaid fiscal intermediary administering the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) program it pioneered in 1980. The organization enables severely disabled and chronically ill Medicaid-eligible individuals to hire, train, and supervise their own Personal Assistant home care workers, allowing them to live independently. COINY bills New York State Medicaid on behalf of consumers and provides complementary tools including a Personal Assistant online database, peer counseling tutorials, a consumer web portal, and a Special Wishes program for pediatric consumers.

Product overview

Concepts of Independence operates a single, integrated Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) program as its core offering. This Medicaid-funded program is supported by several complementary components: a Personal Assistant Database for matching consumers with care workers, Peer Counseling Video Tutorials for training and guidance, a Consumer Web Portal for account management, and a Special Wishes Program for pediatric consumers. The ecosystem works together to enable disabled individuals to direct their own home care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) A Medicaid-funded home care program that enables severely disabled and chronically ill individuals to hire, train, and supervise their own Personal Assistant home care workers, giving consumers direct control over who enters their home and when. Administered by COINY as a fiscal intermediary billing New York State Medicaid.
• Personal Assistant Online Database An online database connecting Concepts Consumers with Personal Assistants seeking work. Personal Assistants can create searchable profiles filterable by schedule, location, skills, and language to facilitate the consumer hiring process.
• Consumer Web Portal A web-based account system for Consumers to manage their care, access the Personal Assistant database, and handle employment documentation related to their home care services.
• Special Wishes Program An annual program that grants wishes to children in the program by awarding items (such as iPads) that enhance their freedom and independence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Administered at lower cost than traditional home care programs, saving New York State Medicaid millions of dollars per year

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Arrow SolutionsminorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & CominorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Association Development GroupminorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Bond, Schoeneck & KingminorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Capital District Center for IndependenceminorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Jackson Lewis PCminorOthersCorporate sponsor for the 2017 Concepts Gala event.
• Grand Prospect HallminorOthersVenue partner for the 2017 Gala event in Brooklyn, NY.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• AccessCNY: Central New York nonprofit providing services to individuals with disabilities, including self-directed care options. Comparable in mission and geographic overlap with COINY's upstate service area.
• New York State Independent Living Council (NYSILC): Statewide network of Independent Living Centers serving people with disabilities in New York. Comparable mission (consumer-directed independent living) and overlapping consumer base.
• Independence Care System (ICS): New York nonprofit health plan and care coordination provider for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. Comparable in serving Medicaid-eligible adults with disabilities who require long-term services and supports.
• Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY): NYC-based disability rights and independent living organization serving similar Medicaid-eligible populations. Comparable in advocacy orientation and consumer base.

Direct peers

• GT Independence: National fiscal intermediary offering self-directed Medicaid programs including CDPAS-style consumer-employer models. Comparable to COINY in serving individuals with disabilities who direct their own home care.
• Public Partnerships LLC (PPL): One of the largest U.S. fiscal intermediaries providing self-directed Medicaid services across dozens of states. Directly comparable as a FI managing payroll, onboarding, and compliance for consumer-directed home care programs.
• Liberty Resources: New York-based nonprofit providing Independent Living services and fiscal intermediary functions. Closest geographic and mission peer to COINY within New York.
• Consumer Direct Care Network: National fiscal agent operating self-direction programs in multiple states. Comparable mission and operating model to COINY's CDPAS administration.
• Palco: Fiscal intermediary and financial management services company for self-directed home and community-based services. Directly comparable in administering Medicaid-funded consumer-directed programs.

Broad incumbents

• Aging in America: Larger New York-based nonprofit providing aging and disability services including care management. Comparable in serving Medicaid-eligible populations needing long-term support, though broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConceptsNY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/shorts/fIARYJPBTe8?feature=share
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Concepts-of-Independence-Inc/378760602198773?ref=hl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concepts-of-independence-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Concepts of Independence