Switch CDS provider · St. Louis

Switching your CDS vendor

Choosing a vendor is your right, and so is changing your mind. You do not have to reapply for the program, you do not lose your authorized hours, and in most cases your attendant keeps working without a break.

Why do people switch CDS providers?

• Payroll is late, wrong, or unpredictable.
• Nobody answers the phone, or nobody who can actually help.
• Timesheet problems that never get resolved.
• The attendant’s W-2 or tax withholding was handled badly.
• They were signed up by a hospital or a relative without really choosing.
• They moved and want a vendor closer to home.

You do not owe anyone an explanation. The choice is yours by right.

How do I switch CDS providers?

1. Call us. We will confirm you are currently enrolled and check what needs to move across.
2. We complete new enrollment paperwork with you naming Communicare Elite as your vendor.
3. Your attendant onboards with us — new employment and tax paperwork, and we verify their background screening is current.
4. DHSS is notified of the vendor change.
5. We coordinate the effective date so your attendant’s last pay period with the old vendor and first with us line up cleanly.

Will I lose my hours or my attendant if I switch?

No. When you switch, you keep:

• Your eligibility — you do not reapply for the program.
• Your authorized care plan and your authorized hours.
• Your attendant, if you want to keep them.
• Your right to switch again if we disappoint you.

What should I look for in a CDS provider?

Ask every vendor these questions, including us. A vendor that dodges them is telling you something:

• When exactly is payday, and how is my attendant paid?
• Who do I call with a timesheet problem, and what is the response time?
• What happens if my attendant quits — how fast can a replacement start?
• How do you handle it when a payroll error is yours?
• Can I reach a person locally, or only a call center?

Frequently asked questions

What does a CDS provider do?

Your CDS provider, called the vendor, handles the paperwork side of employing your attendant. That means enrollment paperwork, your attendant’s employment and tax paperwork, checking that background screening is current, timesheets, payroll and tax withholding, and the W-2. When those jobs go wrong, with late pay, unresolved timesheet problems or bad withholding, that is the vendor failing, and you can switch.

Do I have to reapply for CDS if I change providers?

No. You keep your eligibility, your authorized care plan and your authorized hours. You complete new enrollment paperwork naming Communicare Elite as your vendor, and DHSS is notified of the change. You also keep the right to switch again later if we disappoint you. You do not owe anyone an explanation for switching.

Can my attendant keep working while I switch?

Yes, in most cases your attendant keeps working without a break. The important part is the handover date. Your attendant should not stop, or work hours that fall between vendors, before the switch is effective. We set the effective date in writing so the last pay period with the old vendor and the first with us line up cleanly.

What does my attendant need to do when we switch?

Your attendant onboards with us. That means new employment and tax paperwork, and we verify that their background screening is current. If you want to keep the same attendant, you can; they stay with you and move to our payroll. We coordinate the effective date so no hours go unpaid during the change.