Auringer Joins Skoufis in Demanding Answers on Hochul Home Care Scandal

Ryan demanded DOJ action when Optum disrupted Hudson Valley health care, now he should demand answers from Hochul and her state-selected home-care vendor

KINGSTON, NY - June 17, 2026 - Jackie Auringer today joined State Senator James Skoufis in demanding answers after the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit over New York's troubled CDPAP home-care program and Public Partnerships LLC, the state-selected vendor chosen to administer the $11 billion program.

"This is about people," Auringer said. "It is about seniors, disabled New Yorkers, medically fragile individuals, and family caregivers who depend on this program every day. When care is disrupted or workers are not paid, real families are thrown into crisis. They deserve compassion, stability, and answers."

Auringer said the program has been administered poorly by nearly every account, with reports of disrupted care, unpaid workers, overwhelmed systems, and allegations that Medicaid dollars may have been siphoned away.

"New Yorkers are struggling," Auringer said. "Families are paying more for groceries, utilities, housing, health care, and taxes. They cannot afford to have billions of public dollars wasted through fraud, abuse, mismanagement, or Albany favoritism. Every dollar lost is a dollar that should have gone to care, relief, or protecting taxpayers."

Auringer said Senator Skoufis was right to raise concerns about the program and the vendor before the federal lawsuit was filed.

"This should not be dismissed as politics," Auringer said. "Senator Skoufis raised serious questions long before this lawsuit was ever filed. When an $11 billion program serving vulnerable New Yorkers is handed to one vendor and immediately runs into chaos, taxpayers deserve answers."

Auringer also called on Congressman Pat Ryan to apply the same standard to Public Partnerships and the Hochul administration that he applied to Optum.

"Pat Ryan demanded answers when Optum-owned practices disrupted care for Hudson Valley families," Auringer said. "But now that the Justice Department says his ally Kathy Hochul's home-care overhaul disrupted care, harmed vulnerable patients, and allowed Medicaid dollars to be siphoned away, Ryan has suddenly gone quiet," Auringer said.

Auringer called on Ryan to support a full investigation, demand the release of all communications between the Hochul administration and Public Partnerships, and insist that any improperly taken Medicaid dollars be returned to taxpayers.

"Pat Ryan was happy to stand with his ally Kathy Hochul on Medicaid," Auringer said. "Now that her administration is facing serious questions about the mismanagement of an $11 billion home-care program, Hudson Valley families deserve to know whether Ryan still believes in accountability or only when it is politically convenient."