Does Medicaid Pay for In-Home Caregivers? (Michigan Rules)

Yes. Does Medicaid pay for in-home caregivers? In Michigan it does, through two programs. The Home Help program pays a caregiver of your choice, including a family member, for hands-on help with daily tasks. The MI Choice Waiver covers a wider set of in-home services for people who need a nursing-facility level of care. Both require active Medicaid.

On this page

1. Does Medicaid pay for in-home caregivers in Michigan? Yes, two ways
2. What in-home care does Medicaid cover, and what does it not?
3. How many hours will Medicaid pay for?
4. Can a family member be the paid in-home caregiver?
5. Medicare vs Medicaid for in-home care: what is the difference?
6. How to get Medicaid to pay for an in-home caregiver in Michigan
7. Frequently asked questions

Does Medicaid pay for in-home caregivers in Michigan? Yes, two ways

Michigan pays for in-home care in two ways, and the right one depends on how much help your loved one needs.

Home Help: the state plan program

Home Help is a Medicaid benefit available in every Michigan county. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services assesses the person, approves a number of hours per month, and pays the caregiver directly. The care recipient chooses the caregiver, who enrolls as an individual provider through CHAMPS. Our Michigan Home Help program guide covers the details.

MI Choice Waiver: for higher needs

The MI Choice Waiver is for adults who would otherwise qualify for a nursing home. It funds personal care plus extras like respite, adult day services, home modifications and personal emergency response systems. You apply through a local Area Agency on Aging or waiver agent, and it can include a paid family caregiver. See our MI Choice Waiver page.

What in-home care does Medicaid cover, and what does it not?

Medicaid home care in Michigan is built around activities of daily living. Here is what Home Help pays for and what it leaves out.

Covered under Home Help

• Bathing, grooming and dressing
• Eating and meal preparation
• Toileting and incontinence care
• Transferring and help moving around the home
• Medication reminders and setup
• Laundry, light housework and shopping

Not covered under Home Help

• Skilled nursing such as wound care, injections or IV therapy
• Physical, occupational or speech therapy
• Companionship or supervision alone, with no hands-on task
• 24-hour care; hours are limited to assessed tasks
• Room and board, rent or utilities

Skilled services may be covered separately by Medicare home health or by Medicaid through a home health agency when a doctor orders them. The MI Choice Waiver fills more of the gaps for people with heavy needs, including respite and adult day care.

How many hours will Medicaid pay for?

There is no set number. An Adult Services Worker visits the home, scores each daily task on a functional scale, and uses standard time guidelines to build a monthly total. A parent who needs full help bathing, dressing and eating every day will be approved for far more hours than someone who needs weekly shopping and laundry.

The rate is set by MDHHS and updated from time to time. Through Supportive Solutions, caregivers earn a minimum of $18 per hour. Our post on how much family caregivers get paid in Michigan shows monthly examples and how to ask for more hours if needs increase.

Can a family member be the paid in-home caregiver?

Yes. This is the part most families do not know. Michigan Medicaid lets the care recipient choose the caregiver, and the caregiver does not need a license or certification. Adult children, grandchildren, siblings, other relatives, friends and neighbors can all be paid Home Help providers.

Basic requirements for the caregiver

• At least 18 years old
• Passes a criminal background check and is not on the Medicaid excluded provider list
• Enrolls in CHAMPS with a Social Security number and photo ID
• Uses electronic visit verification to log each visit

Spouses and legal guardians face extra restrictions under Home Help rules, and the MI Choice Waiver handles those relationships differently, so ask before assuming either way. Read our step-by-step guide on how to get paid to take care of a family member in Michigan.

If you would rather have a trained aide, Supportive Solutions Homecare provides Medicaid home care through agency caregivers in Detroit, Dearborn, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids, and we can pair an agency aide with a family caregiver when hours allow.

Medicare vs Medicaid for in-home care: what is the difference?

Families often mix the two up, and the difference decides who pays.

Question	Medicare	Michigan Medicaid
Who qualifies	People 65 and older or with certain disabilities, regardless of income	People with limited income and assets, any age, who meet a category
Pays for ongoing in-home caregivers	No	Yes, through Home Help and MI Choice
Pays a family member	No	Yes, as an enrolled individual provider
Pays for skilled home health	Yes, short-term and intermittent, when homebound and doctor-ordered	Yes, when medically necessary
Pays for bathing, dressing and housework	Only briefly alongside skilled care	Yes, as the core Home Help service
Where to apply	Social Security	MI Bridges, then the county MDHHS office

Many seniors have both. Medicare covers the doctor, hospital and short-term therapy after a hospital stay. Medicaid covers the day-to-day caregiver. If your parent has Medicare but not Medicaid, the first move is checking whether they meet the Medicaid income and asset limits.

How to get Medicaid to pay for an in-home caregiver in Michigan

1. Confirm Medicaid eligibility. Use our Medicaid eligibility check to see if income, assets and age or disability fit a category.
2. Apply for Medicaid if needed. Applications go through MI Bridges online or at the county MDHHS office.
3. Request a Home Help assessment. Call the Adult Services unit at your county office and ask for an in-home evaluation.
4. Get the Medical Needs form signed. A doctor confirms that help with daily activities is needed.
5. Choose and enroll the caregiver. The caregiver completes CHAMPS enrollment and a background check.
6. Start care and log visits. Hours are recorded through EVV and paid by MDHHS.

If needs are heavy, ask the Area Agency on Aging about the MI Choice Waiver at the same time, because waiver waiting lists can be long in some regions.

Frequently asked questions

Will Medicaid pay for caregivers in the home?

Yes. Michigan Medicaid pays for in-home caregivers through the Home Help program for anyone with full Medicaid who needs hands-on help with at least one daily activity, and through the MI Choice Waiver for people who need a nursing-facility level of care. Hours are set by an in-home assessment, and the caregiver can be a relative or an agency aide.

How much does Medicaid pay for a caregiver in Michigan?

MDHHS sets an hourly rate for Home Help individual providers and pays it for the number of hours approved each month. Through Supportive Solutions, caregivers earn a minimum of $18 per hour. Monthly pay equals the rate multiplied by approved hours, so a heavier care plan pays more.

Can a family member get paid to be a caregiver in Michigan?

Yes. Home Help lets the care recipient choose almost any adult as the paid provider, including adult children, siblings, other relatives and friends. The caregiver must pass a background check, enroll in CHAMPS and use EVV. Spouses and legal guardians face extra restrictions under Home Help, so families in that situation should ask about the MI Choice Waiver.

Will Medicare pay for my family member to be a caregiver?

No. Medicare pays for short-term skilled home health after an illness or hospital stay, delivered by a certified agency, and it never pays a family member. Long-term in-home caregiving is a Medicaid benefit. If your loved one only has Medicare, check whether they also qualify for Michigan Medicaid, which would open the door to Home Help.

Will Social Security pay me to take care of my parents?

No. Social Security pays retirement and disability benefits to the person who earned them, not to family caregivers. The program that pays a Michigan family member to provide care is Medicaid Home Help. Your parent’s Social Security income does count toward Medicaid income limits, so use the eligibility checker to see whether they fit.