CHAMPS Enrollment for Michigan Home Help Caregivers, Step by Step

The CHAMPS provider enrollment Michigan requires for every Home Help caregiver is how you get set up to be paid by MDHHS. You create a MiLogin account, open the CHAMPS enrollment application, enter your personal details and background check consent, add direct deposit, and submit. Once approved and linked to your client’s case, you record visits with EVV and payments begin.

On this page

1. What is CHAMPS, and why do Home Help caregivers need it?
2. Step 1: How do you create a MiLogin account for CHAMPS?
3. Step 2: How do you complete the CHAMPS provider enrollment application?
4. Step 3: How do you get linked to your client and the county office?
5. Step 4: How do you set up EVV and record visits?
6. What are the most common CHAMPS enrollment errors, and how do you fix them?
7. Frequently asked questions

What is CHAMPS, and why do Home Help caregivers need it?

CHAMPS stands for the Community Health Automated Medicaid Processing System. It is the online system the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) uses to enroll every Medicaid provider in the state, from hospitals to individual caregivers, and to process their payments.

When your loved one is approved for the Home Help program and chooses you as their caregiver, MDHHS treats you as an individual provider. Before the state can send you a single dollar, you must have an active CHAMPS enrollment with a provider ID, a clean background check, and payment details on file.

CHAMPS is separate from MI Bridges. MI Bridges is where your loved one applies for Medicaid. CHAMPS is where you, the caregiver, enroll to be paid. They use different MiLogin account types, which is the first place people get stuck.

This guide covers the individual provider path. If you would rather have an agency handle enrollment and support for you, see get paid to care for a family member.

Step 1: How do you create a MiLogin account for CHAMPS?

MiLogin is the State of Michigan’s single sign-on system. You need one account, and it must be the right kind.

1. Go to the MiLogin page for business or third-party users. Search “MiLogin CHAMPS” or follow the link on the MDHHS Home Help individual provider page. Do not use the citizen login that MI Bridges uses.
2. Create your account. Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your Social Security card, a personal email address you check often, and a phone number for verification codes.
3. Set up security. Choose a strong password and security questions, and confirm your email or phone when prompted.
4. Request access to CHAMPS. Once logged in, find the option to request access to an application, select CHAMPS, and choose the role for a provider enrolling themselves. Approval of this request is usually automatic.

Write down your MiLogin user ID and keep it safe. You will use it for the life of your enrollment.

Step 2: How do you complete the CHAMPS provider enrollment application?

Once you can open CHAMPS, choose the option to begin a new enrollment. This is the CHAMPS provider enrollment Michigan reviewers check against federal records, so accuracy matters. The application is a series of numbered steps, and you can save and return. Gather these before you start:

• Social Security number and date of birth
• Home address and mailing address, if different
• A government-issued photo ID
• Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit
• Your loved one’s name and, if you have it, their Medicaid ID number

Then work through the application in order.

1. Select the enrollment type. Choose the individual or sole proprietor option, then the provider type for a Home Help individual provider. Picking the wrong type is the most common reason an application is rejected.
2. Enter your basic information. Your name and Social Security number must match Social Security Administration records exactly. A nickname, a missing middle initial, or a recent name change will cause a mismatch.
3. Add your addresses and contact details. Use an address where you can receive mail from MDHHS.
4. Answer the disclosure questions. You will be asked about criminal convictions and prior exclusion from Medicaid or Medicare. Answer truthfully. Not every conviction is disqualifying, but a false answer is. Read what disqualifies you from being a caregiver in Michigan if you have concerns.
5. Consent to the background check. MDHHS runs a Michigan criminal history check on every Home Help provider. Your enrollment stays pending until it clears.
6. Enter direct deposit information. Electronic payment is faster and avoids lost checks. Double-check the routing number.
7. Sign the provider agreement and submit. Review the Home Help provider agreement, which spells out your responsibilities including EVV, then sign electronically and submit. Note the application tracking number.

Caregivers we work with commonly report approval within two to four weeks when everything matches, though MDHHS publishes no guaranteed timeline.

Step 3: How do you get linked to your client and the county office?

This is the step families most often miss. A CHAMPS enrollment makes you an eligible provider, but it does not attach you to anyone’s case. Payment only flows once the Adult Services Worker at your loved one’s county MDHHS office links your provider ID to their Home Help authorization.

1. Get your provider ID. When CHAMPS approves your enrollment, you receive a provider ID number. Keep it with your MiLogin details.
2. Give it to the Adult Services Worker. Call or email the worker handling your loved one’s Home Help case and provide your name, provider ID, and the date your enrollment was approved.
3. Confirm the authorization. Ask the worker to confirm the start date, the approved tasks, and the monthly hours. MDHHS mails a notice, but a phone confirmation lets you start on time.
4. Ask about the pay cycle. Find out when the first payment will run so you can plan.

If your loved one does not have an open Home Help case yet, that comes first. Their Medicaid must be active and their in-home assessment complete before the worker can link anyone. Start with our Medicaid eligibility check if you are unsure where they stand.

Step 4: How do you set up EVV and record visits?

Michigan requires electronic visit verification for Home Help. EVV is a federal Medicaid rule that confirms a visit happened by recording who provided care, who received it, the service, the date, the location, and the start and end times.

1. Watch for your EVV welcome message. After you are linked to a client, MDHHS or its EVV vendor sends login instructions. Michigan’s Home Help EVV system is provided by HHAeXchange, and caregivers use its mobile app.
2. Install the app and log in. Download the app on your smartphone, enter the credentials you were sent, and confirm that your loved one appears as your client.
3. Clock in at the start of each visit. Open the app, select the client, and start the visit when you begin care. The app records the time and location.
4. Clock out when you finish. End the visit and select the tasks you performed. Do this every time, even for short visits.
5. Review your visits weekly. Check that each visit shows as complete. A visit with a missing clock-out or a location error may not be paid until it is corrected.

Family caregivers are not exempt from EVV, even if they live with the person they care for. Our full guide to EVV for Michigan Home Help caregivers covers what to do about missed clock-ins and phones without service.

What are the most common CHAMPS enrollment errors, and how do you fix them?

Almost every stalled enrollment traces back to one of these problems.

Wrong MiLogin account type

If CHAMPS does not appear as an option after you log in, you probably created a citizen account. Create a new account of the business or third-party type and request CHAMPS access from there.

Name or Social Security number mismatch

CHAMPS checks your details against federal records. Use your full legal name. If you changed your name after marriage or divorce, update it with the Social Security Administration first, then enroll.

Wrong provider type selected

Choosing a general provider type instead of the Home Help individual provider type routes your application to the wrong queue. If this happened, contact the CHAMPS provider support line listed on the MDHHS website and ask how to correct it.

Application stuck in pending

The most common cause is the background check. Confirm you signed the consent and that your address is correct, since some steps still go by mail. If it has been longer than a month, call provider support with your tracking number.

Approved but not paid

Check three things: that the Adult Services Worker linked your provider ID to the case, that your EVV visits show as complete, and that your direct deposit details are correct. Nine times out of ten, the link to the case is missing.

Revalidation notices

Medicaid requires providers to revalidate their enrollment periodically. When CHAMPS sends a revalidation notice, complete it before the deadline or your payments stop.

If this feels like more than you want to manage on your own, Supportive Solutions Homecare handles enrollment, county follow-up, and EVV setup for caregivers across Detroit, Dearborn, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Start at become a paid caregiver.

Frequently asked questions

How long does CHAMPS provider enrollment take in Michigan?

MDHHS does not publish a fixed timeline. Caregivers commonly report two to four weeks from submission to approval when the name, Social Security number, and background check consent are all in order. Mismatched details or a missing consent can add weeks. Being linked to your loved one’s case by the Adult Services Worker is a separate step that can add more time.

What is EVV, and do family caregivers have to use it?

EVV, or electronic visit verification, is a federally required system that confirms each Home Help visit by recording the caregiver, client, service, date, time, and location. Michigan requires it for all Home Help individual providers, including family members who live with the person they care for. Visits that are not recorded in EVV may not be paid.

Do I need to enroll in CHAMPS again for each client?

No. Your CHAMPS enrollment belongs to you, not to a single client. If you later care for a second person, or your loved one’s case is reopened, the Adult Services Worker links your existing provider ID to the new authorization. You do need to keep your enrollment active by responding to revalidation notices and keeping your address and bank details current.

Can I check my CHAMPS enrollment status?

Yes. Log in through MiLogin, open CHAMPS, and look for the enrollment tracking option, where you can enter your application tracking number to see whether it is pending, returned for corrections, or approved. If the status has not changed for several weeks, call the CHAMPS provider support number listed on the MDHHS website.

Do I need a license or certification to enroll in CHAMPS as a Home Help provider?

No. Home Help individual providers do not need a CNA license, home health aide certificate, or formal training to enroll. The requirements are being at least 18, having a valid Social Security number, passing the Michigan criminal history check, and agreeing to the provider agreement and EVV. Training is optional, though agencies often provide it.