The New York state Department of Health issued a cease-and-desist letter to certain fiscal intermediaries and licensed home care agencies after receiving complaints about the spread of false information.

The department said some of these groups provided deceptive information to people who use the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, in an effort to undermine the state's transition to a single fiscal intermediary. 

People with disabilities and seniors who use CDPAP have until April 1 to register with the new management company, Public Partnerships LLC. 

Some in the program have raised concerns with the new company and want the state to reconsider the change. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the cease-and-desist is necessary to stop the lies. 

"They can keep the person they want to take care of them. They're not going into a nursing home. There's a financial motivation, which is overarching here that everyone should be pointing out," Hochul said. "It's not good for the people. A $9 billion program should be a lot less money for taxpayers, but that means you're skimming money off a program that should be heping our most high-need people." 

Some state lawmakers have pushed back against the April 1 deadline and are calling for a delay of the transition to Public Partnerships LLC.