Home-Enabling Supports NY

For self-direction brokers

HES for Self-Direction brokers

For self-directed participants, HES draws its acquisition cost from the PRA — it adds a managed service, not new money. Here's when that trade is worth it.

HES is not a second budget. For a self-directed participant, the acquisition cost — up to the $5,000-per-calendar-year cap — comes out of the person's PRA. What HES adds is the service around the purchase: a credentialed assessment, setup, a 3-month training window, and ongoing troubleshooting. The real question is when routing PRA dollars through HES beats a direct purchase.

What you'll find here

  • A side-by-side of HES vs. a direct PRA purchase.
  • Four decision rules for when HES is the right vehicle.
  • Life Plan goal phrasing — the Care Manager hub's patterns work for self-directed plans too.

Quick comparison

Direct PRA purchase vs. HES at a glance

  Direct PRA purchase HES
Funding source The participant's self-directed budget. For self-directed participants, the acquisition cost is drawn from the PRA — no new dollars added. Capped at $5,000/calendar year for devices, Remote Supports, and HACS combined.
Who delivers Vendor or service of the participant's choice; broker coordinates. One of OPWDD's designated HES Providers (by region).
What's included The purchase itself; setup and support are on the participant's team. A managed service: credentialed assessment, setup, 3-month training window, ongoing troubleshooting, annual review.
Best for One-off purchases, individualized supports, off-shelf tech. Wearables, sensors, Remote Supports, HACS — where install, training, and ongoing support matter.

Either way the dollars start in the PRA — the choice is whether the managed service is worth routing them through HES. See the funding details.

Decision rules

Four rules that settle most PRA-vs-HES calls

Grounded in ADM 2024-02's exclusions and fee structure.

  • 1 Laptops and tablets: under HES these are managed-lease only — no outright purchase. If the participant wants to own the device, HES is not the vehicle.
  • 2 Phones and internet service: excluded from HES entirely, whatever the justification. These stay on the PRA side or out of pocket.
  • 3 Overnight or continuous supervision: Remote Supports (age 15+) may fit under HES where hourly staffing would exhaust a budget — live, two-way support from an off-site base instead of a person in the home.
  • 4 The HES provider's admin fees ($189 assessment, $315 setup, $63/month troubleshooting or subscription management) sit outside the $5,000 acquisition cap.

Resources

Funding & costs (HES and the PRA)

The $5,000 cap, the admin fee schedule, and how acquisition draws on the PRA.

Life Plan goal phrasing

Goal-language patterns that map to HES sub-services, on the Care Manager hub.

Frequently asked

Can a self-directed participant use HES?
Yes — but it isn't extra money. The acquisition cost, up to the $5,000-per-calendar-year cap, is drawn from the person's PRA. What HES adds is the managed service around it: assessment, setup, a 3-month training window, and ongoing troubleshooting.
Do the HES provider's fees come out of the PRA too?
The provider's administrative fees ($189 assessment, $315 setup, $63/month troubleshooting or subscription management) sit outside the $5,000 acquisition cap. They are offset against OPWDD's broader annual AT threshold (ADM 2021-04). The ADM ties only the acquisition cost to the PRA. Funding details.

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