Consumer Directed Choices

What Consumer Directed Choices does

Consumer Directed Choices (CDChoices) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that operates as a fiscal intermediary for consumer-directed home care programs across New York State and Connecticut. The organization serves elderly individuals aging in place, people with physical or developmental disabilities, family caregivers, Medicaid members, and Medicare beneficiaries with dementia, enabling them to recruit, hire, train, and manage their own personal care assistants rather than receiving caregiver assignments from a traditional home care agency. Programs administered include CDPAP, the New York State Medicaid 1115 Waiver (for health-related social needs), Medicare's GUIDE dementia program, EISEP for non-Medicaid-eligible seniors, private-pay home care, and grant-funded respite care.

The technology platform consists of a public marketing website (cdchoices.org), a consumer-facing Workforce Recruitment Portal branded as YourCare Connection (portal.cdchoices.org) that maintains a database of over 4,000 available caregivers filterable by zip code, hours, language, and skills, and an internal core software system currently being redesigned under SVP Hongwei Zhang to integrate AI capabilities targeting a 25% reduction in staff processing time. CDChoices handles the full employer-of-record back-office on behalf of consumers: weekly payroll processing, tax withholding, timesheets and compliance, caregiver onboarding, and workers' compensation insurance, while the consumer retains authority over caregiver selection, scheduling, training, and termination.

Revenue is generated through administrative fees and payroll-processing charges paid per consumer across each funding stream — Medicaid and Medicare program reimbursements, private-pay invoices (weekly or monthly), cost-sharing arrangements under EISEP, and grant-funded respite contracts — rather than through traditional sales channels. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via inbound website, phone, and email intake, supplemented by referral partnerships with Social Care Network lead entities (Healthy Alliance, Public Health Solutions, Hudson Valley Care Coalition), Connecticut's Area Agencies on Aging, and Medicare GUIDE practice entities (Eli Health, Lizzy Care). Operations are run from a headquarters in Albany with regional offices in Buffalo, Kingston, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester, plus a Connecticut regional office.

Name

Consumer Directed Choices

Legal name

Consumer Directed Choices, Inc.

Website

https://cdchoices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Consumer Directed Choices is a New York–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal intermediary that enables elderly and disabled individuals across NY and CT to hire, train, and manage their own personal care assistants, handling payroll, compliance, and workers' compensation on their behalf.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Health Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Directed/Consumer-Directed Caregiver Enrollment & Payroll Support (HSABAMAI)

Keywords

• Fiscal intermediary services
• Consumer directed home care
• Home care administration
• Personal assistant services
• Medicaid waiver programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fiscal Intermediary / Administrative Services: CDChoices charges for administrative and payroll processing services as a fiscal intermediary under consumer-directed programs (CDPAP, Medicaid waivers, EISEP). Revenue is generated through per-consumer administrative fees and payroll processing. The organization also handles workers' compensation insurance on behalf of consumers. Revenue is derived from government program reimbursements and private pay arrangements.
2. Medicaid and Government Program Administration: As a fiscal intermediary for New York State Medicaid programs (CDPAP, 1115 Waiver, GUIDE) and Connecticut programs, CDChoices receives administrative funding through these government programs to process payroll, manage compliance, and provide caregiver onboarding support.
3. Private Pay Home Care: Self-pay consumers pay out-of-pocket for home care services facilitated by CDChoices as a fiscal intermediary. Consumers set caregiver pay rates and are invoiced weekly or monthly. Private insurance or Long-Term Care Insurance reimbursement may also apply for eligible consumers.
4. Respite Care (Grant-Funded): Respite care services may be covered by grant funding (e.g., Connecticut Area Agencies on Aging partnership), reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket costs for eligible families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Consumer Directed Choices (CDChoices) operates as a nonprofit fiscal intermediary that enables seniors and individuals with disabilities to hire, train, and manage their own personal care assistants at home. It handles the employer-side administrative burden — payroll processing, tax withholding, timesheets, workers' compensation insurance, caregiver onboarding, and compliance — across multiple funding programs including Private Pay, Medicaid 1115 Waiver, Medicare GUIDE, EISEP, and Respite Care, delivered through a self-service Workforce Recruitment Portal housing 4,000+ caregivers across New York State and Connecticut.

Product overview

Consumer Directed Choices (CDChoices) operates as a nonprofit fiscal intermediary offering consumer-directed home care programs across New York and Connecticut. The core offering is a platform of interconnected services including Private Pay Home Care, Respite Care, Medicare GUIDE, EISEP, and Medicaid 1115 Waiver programs—all unified by a consumer-directed care model where individuals control hiring, training, and managing their personal care assistants. The Workforce Recruitment Portal (YourCare Connection) serves as the technology platform enabling caregiver matching with over 4,000 available caregivers. Administrative services including payroll processing, tax withholding, workers' compensation insurance, and compliance are handled centrally, while consumers retain control over care decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Workforce Recruitment Portal: Online platform connecting consumers with potential Personal Assistants in New York State, part of the YourCare Connection service.

Products and services

• Private Pay Home Care Out-of-pocket consumer-directed home care program available in NY and CT that allows individuals and families to pay directly for in-home personal care, set caregiver hourly rates, and pursue private insurance or Long-Term Care Insurance reimbursement. CDChoices acts as fiscal intermediary, processing weekly or monthly invoices while the consumer retains full employer authority over their personal assistant.
• Respite Care Temporary in-home support service that gives caregivers and families time to rest and recharge, available in both New York State and Connecticut. May be covered by grant funding (e.g., through Connecticut Area Agencies on Aging partnership), reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket costs for eligible families.
• Medicare Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Program Medicare-funded dementia care support program that provides care navigation, respite services, and family caregiver guidance for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. CDChoices serves as the Respite Provider for GUIDE practice entities, delivering flexible, person-centered respite across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and other NY regions.
• Expanded In-Home Service for the Elderly (EISEP) Non-medical in-home support program for older adults in New York State who are not eligible for Medicaid, providing services such as personal care, housekeeping, and respite to enable aging in place. Costs are cost-shared based on consumer eligibility and income.
• Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program NY State Medicaid 1115 Waiver program supporting Medicaid members of all ages with health-related social needs including housing, food, transportation, and caregiving. CDChoices delivers caregiver and administrative services through partnerships with Social Care Network lead entities (Healthy Alliance, Public Health Solutions, Hudson Valley Care Coalition).
• Workforce Recruitment Portal (YourCare Connection) Consumer-facing online portal (portal.cdchoices.org) that allows consumers to search, filter, and recruit personal assistants from a database of over 4,000 available caregivers. Supports filtering by zip code, open hours, and skills such as bathing, Alzheimer's care, and meal preparation, and serves both consumers seeking care and individuals seeking employment as personal assistants.

Quantifiable outcome

• CDChoices' AI-enhanced core software redesign is projected to reduce staff time by 25%, freeing resources for customer service.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Healthy AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Healthy Alliance is the designated Social Care Network (SCN) Lead Entity for the Capital Region, Central New York, and North Country under the NY State Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program. This partnership enables CDChoices to serve Medicaid members across these regions with health-related social need services (housing, food, transportation, caregiving) under the waiver program. It is described as a significant milestone in CDChoices' expansion of the Medicaid 1115 Waiver program.
• Public Health SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Public Health Solutions (PHS) is one of New York City's designated Social Care Network (SCN) lead entities under the NY State Medicaid 1115 Waiver program. This partnership focuses specifically on improving access to nutritious food and reducing food insecurity in NYC. CDChoices serves Medicaid members in NYC through this partnership under the waiver program.
• Eli Health (via Lifetime Redesign OT, PLLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Eli Health partnered with CDChoices through an agreement with Lifetime Redesign OT, PLLC, the designated practice entity for Medicare's Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. CDChoices serves as the Respite Provider, supporting comprehensive assessments and delivering flexible, caregiver-directed respite care services to families affected by dementia. This partnership expands CDChoices' Medicare GUIDE program services.
• Hudson Valley Care CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hudson Valley Care Coalition (HVCC) is the designated Social Care Lead Entity and Social Care Network (SCN) for the Hudson Valley region. This partnership marks CDChoices' entry into serving individuals through the NY State Medicaid 1115 Waiver program in the Hudson Valley, with CDChoices providing waiver services to Medicaid members in that region.
• Connecticut's Area Agencies on AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2025CDChoices was selected as Connecticut's regional provider for administering self-directed Respite Care Programs in partnership with Connecticut's Area Agencies on Aging. This is a significant milestone marking a new chapter in CDChoices' 25-year history of advancing independence, dignity, and choice in care, expanding the organization's operations into Connecticut.
• Lizzy Care (via GuideWay Health, PLLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Lizzy Care partnered with CDChoices through an agreement with GuideWay Health, PLLC, the Medicare GUIDE practice entity. Working together, CDChoices serves as the Respite Provider, delivering flexible, person-centered respite care services to families affected by dementia across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PALCO: A fiscal intermediary with deep experience in NY's CDPAP and other consumer-directed programs. PALCO is a direct competitor for CDPAP volume and shares CDChoices' core business model of handling employer-of-record functions for self-directed caregivers.
• GT Independence: A fiscal intermediary specializing in self-direction for individuals with disabilities and elderly populations across multiple states. Competes head-to-head with CDChoices for self-directed Medicaid waiver business and offers similar enrollment and payroll services.
• Edison Home Health Care: A New York-based licensed home care services agency and CDPAP fiscal intermediary. Operates in the same NY metropolitan and regional markets as CDChoices, serving overlapping Medicaid and private-pay consumer populations.
• Public Partnerships LLC (PPL): The largest US fiscal intermediary for consumer-directed Medicaid and waiver programs across dozens of states. PPL is the most direct competitor to CDChoices, offering the same self-directed enrollment, payroll, and compliance infrastructure to consumers and government payers.
• Consumer Direct Care Network: A national fiscal intermediary and consumer-directed care administrator operating across multiple states with a mission-driven, consumer-first model similar to CDChoices. Directly comparable in program mix (Medicaid waivers, self-directed HCBS) and target population.
• A&A Health Services: A NY-licensed home care agency and CDPAP fiscal intermediary operating across New York State. Competes with CDChoices for the same CDPAP-eligible consumers and Medicaid waiver clients in overlapping NY regions.

Emerging players

• Independence Care System: A New York nonprofit managed care plan and care coordination organization serving people with disabilities and chronic conditions. Comparable in mission and target population, with overlap in consumer-directed care planning and Medicaid HCBS delivery.

Broad incumbents

• BAYADA Home Health Care: One of the largest nonprofit home health providers in the US, offering skilled and personal care services across many states. While BAYADA uses a traditional agency-assigned model rather than consumer-directed FI, it competes for the same Medicaid waiver and elderly care dollars in overlapping NY/CT geographies.
• CareCentrix: A large home and post-acute care management company coordinating in-home services for health plans and providers. Comparable in its role as a care-coordination intermediary but operates at much greater scale and serves payers rather than directly serving consumers.
• Visiting Angels: A national franchise network providing non-medical in-home senior care. Competes indirectly with CDChoices for the same aging-in-place, private-pay and family-caregiver customers who could otherwise choose consumer-directed care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/consumer-directed-choices-inc.
• Xx.com/CDChoices_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/CDChoices

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Consumer Directed Choices