The agency on the heart of bid-rigging claims involving Gov. Kathy Hochul’s overhaul of a $9 billion house care program added workers weeks earlier than it received the contract, information present.
Public Partnerships LLC posted a job for a supervisor as early as August, nearly two months earlier than it was formally awarded the contract to basically act as a intermediary between Medicaid and caregivers — which critics say is proof it was already a carried out deal.
“The mountain of proof retains rising and all of it factors to a rigged bid for PPL,” stated Bryan O’Malley, govt director of Alliance to Shield Residence Care, an business group repping the companies.
“If Governor Hochul was honest about her promise for a ‘new period of transparency’ then she would launch all communications with PPL earlier than this backroom deal dangers the well being of a whole bunch of 1000’s of New Yorkers,” O’Malley instructed The Submit.
The corporate was searching for a so-called director of market implementation to supervise a crew of workers to construct out the infrastructure wanted to take over payroll features for over 200,000 CDPAP caregivers, in accordance with the job posting, which was obtained by The Submit.
“It speaks to their conceitedness a bit of bit,” one supply acquainted with the bidding course of stated.
“That is probably the most tousled procurement I’ve ever seen,” the supply continued, noting that they’ve by no means seen a agency start hiring for such a contract earlier than it was awarded.
The contract was not formally awarded till Sept. 30.
The posting didn’t embrace a wage vary, as required by state legislation.
However a spokesperson for PPL stated they by no means really ever employed anybody — and argued job postings are a traditional apply for potential massive state contracts.
“We didn’t rent anybody for the NY CDPAP contract prematurely of the contract award,” the PPL spokesperson wrote. “We generally attempt to determine candidates for big contracts we’re bidding earlier than we’re awarded. This offers us a pipeline of potential workers within the occasion we’re awarded the contract and permits us to rent extra shortly upon contract award.”
The spokesperson didn’t give any examples of different job postings marketed earlier than a contract was awarded.
As a part of its contract award, PPL additionally dedicated to transferring its headquarters to New York. Many present job postings on PPL’s web site present the agency is searching for candidates positioned in Albany or New York Metropolis, though it can permit distant work.
The corporate’s spokesperson stated workers working remotely will nonetheless be required to take action throughout the state.
“Our implementation is on monitor. Now we have employed a number of hundred individuals, have recognized our areas in Albany and Midtown, and are on monitor with the remaining infrastructure,” the spokesperson wrote, noting that the agency is dedicated to hiring “greater than 1,000 New Yorkers.”
Hochul has been dealing with intense criticism and questioning over her motives for the large adjustments to the quickly ballooning $9 billion Medicaid program.
One of many present companies that stands to lose enterprise by the transition to PPL is suing the state, alleging that it rigged the bidding course of.
Freedom Care, LLC alleges that PPL is struggling financially and coordinated with highly effective well being care union 1199SEIU to push for the CDPAP overhaul.
Bombshell reporting by The Submit revealed that 1199SEIU was working behind the scenes to make sure the successful contractor would comply with let it unionize the caregivers and to collectively advocate to lift their wages – which means a whole bunch of 1000’s of recent dues-paying members.
Hochul had made reining in waste, fraud and abuse of CDPAP a precedence in her state funds proposal this 12 months. Her preliminary proposal would have given the state extra oversight and management over the roughly 700 present fiscal middleman companies.
These plans had been immediately ditched throughout backroom funds negotiations between Hochul and state legislative leaders in lieu of the choice to consolidate the companies into one hand-picked agency.
Sources instructed The Submit PPL was a frontrunner for the contract earlier than the ink on the state funds deal was even dry.
Since Hochul and the legislature’s resolution to scrap a lot of the middlemen companies, these organizations have been waging battle to attempt to unravel the adjustments. These embrace lawsuits, large advert campaigns and demonstrations.
A spokesperson for Hochul denied the bid rigging accusations.
“Clearly, nobody from the State suggested bidders to begin posting for jobs in August, since no State officers knew who can be chosen till the procurement course of was full,” the Hochul spokesperson wrote in an announcement.
“It’s additionally apparent that the businesses spending thousands and thousands to attempt to cease our much-needed reforms are simply throwing extra spaghetti on the wall to see if something sticks,” they continued.
Final week, New York Republican members of Congress referred to as on the feds to withhold some Medicaid funding in an effort to decelerate the implementation of the adjustments.
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