What was supposed to be a hearing for answers instead turned into a clash. For more than four hours in New York City on Thursday, New York State senators pressed Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald over the troubled Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). This home care system provides aides for nearly a quarter-million New Yorkers.

At the center of the dispute is Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), the private company awarded a multibillion-dollar contract to oversee the program. The state replaced more than 600 local providers earlier this year with PPL, saying the change would save hundreds of millions of dollars. But since the transition in April, consumers and caregivers have reported missed paychecks, payment errors, language barriers, and confusion navigating the new system.

Senators James Skoufis and Gustavo Rivera accused McDonald of dodging key questions, including how many workers have been paid. At one point, Skoufis directly challenged whether PPL was chosen before the state’s bidding process even began, raising concerns about possible “bid steering.”