How to Contact MDHHS Adult Services About Home Help

If you are trying to get a loved one approved for the Michigan Home Help Program, or you are already their caregiver and have a question, sooner or later you need to reach MDHHS Adult Services. Many families start by searching for a single "Home Help phone number" and end up on the wrong line. This guide explains who to contact, what to ask, what to have ready, and when an agency can handle the calls for you.

What Is the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services?

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is the state agency that runs Michigan Medicaid and many other programs, including the Michigan Home Help Program. Home Help pays a caregiver to provide hands-on assistance with daily living to Michigan Medicaid recipients, so they can keep living independently in their own home. It is handled by Adult Services staff in each county's local MDHHS office, where an adult services worker is assigned to every case. MDHHS describes the program on its Independent Living (Home Help) page (opens in new tab).

Who to Contact About Home Help

There is no single statewide intake line for Home Help. The right contact is the local MDHHS office in the county where the person receiving care lives.

• Find your local office: use the MDHHS county office locator (opens in new tab) to get the address and phone number for your county.
• Ask for Adult Services: when you call, say you want to make a Home Help referral, or ask for the adult services worker assigned to your case if you already have one.
• Anyone can make the referral: according to the MDHHS Adult Services Manual (opens in new tab), a referral can be made by phone, mail, fax, or in person, and it doesn't have to come from the person who needs care. A family member can call on their behalf.

You may also see the number 1-800-979-4662 online. That is MDHHS Provider Inquiry for enrolled caregivers and agencies, used for CHAMPS and payment questions. It is not where families apply for Home Help.

Before You Call: Check Medicaid First

Home Help is a Michigan Medicaid program, so the person needing care must have active Medicaid coverage. If they don't, apply for Medicaid first through MI Bridges (opens in new tab), by mail, or at the same local office. Income, asset, and residency documents belong with the Medicaid application, not later in the Home Help process.

The other basic requirements: the person must be a Michigan resident and need physical, hands-on help with at least one activity of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, or getting in and out of bed.

What to Ask MDHHS Adult Services

When you reach the local office, these questions save time:

• Can you send the Home Help application (DHS-390) and the medical needs form (MDHHS-6200), or can I pick them up?
• Where should I return them: mail, fax, or in person?
• Once both forms are in, how soon is the home assessment usually scheduled?
• Who will be the adult services worker, and what is the best way to reach them?
• If I want a family member as the paid caregiver, what does the caregiver need to do to enroll?

The Steps After Your First Call

1. Medicaid. Confirm the person has active Michigan Medicaid, or apply.
2. Home Help application. The person receiving care completes and signs the DHS-390 Adult Services Application. The adult services worker can't sign it for them.
3. Medical needs form. A doctor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or certain therapists complete the MDHHS-6200 Medical Needs Certification. If the person was seen recently, ask the office to submit it without a new appointment.
4. Home assessment. MDHHS schedules the home visit only after the application and medical form are both in. The worker confirms Medicaid coverage, reviews the medical documentation, and asks about each daily task.
5. Approved hours. The worker sets the service plan, including how many hours are approved. MDHHS has 45 days (opens in new tab) to decide a standard application.
6. Caregiver enrollment and pay. The chosen paid caregiver completes CHAMPS enrollment, which can take as little as 24 to 48 hours when done correctly. Then services begin and the caregiver gets paid.

From first call to first paycheck, the entire approval process typically takes about 45 to 60 days.

How to Prepare for the Home Visit

The home visit decides how many hours are approved, so preparation matters. Make a list of the daily tasks the caregiver helps with, how long each takes, and how often. Focus on physical assistance: help getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, and moving around the house. Then list household tasks like meal preparation and laundry. Have the person receiving care take part in the conversation, and keep copies of every form you submit.

Who Can Be the Paid Caregiver?

The person receiving care chooses their caregiver. That can be an adult child, grandchild, sibling, other relative, friend, or neighbor. The caregiver must be at least 18, pass a background check, and enroll in CHAMPS.

Home Help has two exceptions: a spouse cannot be paid to care for their husband or wife, and a parent cannot be paid to care for their own minor child. Another person can be paid to provide that care only if the spouse or parent can't give it because of their own physical limitations, or because they work and aren't available. A parent can be paid once the child turns 18.

How Caregivers Are Paid

As of January 1, 2026, caregivers paid directly by the state earn $17.13 per hour, according to MDHHS Adult Services Bulletin 2026-002 (opens in new tab). They are paid once a month by paper check mailed to the care recipient's home, and starting in 2026, union dues are taken out of their pay. They also set up the HHAeXchange app to clock in and out and enter the work done in CHAMPS for every day worked. They don't have to log in every day and can enter it at the end of the month, but each day needs its own entry.

Caregivers who work through Family Love Care earn $18 or more per hour, are paid every two weeks by direct deposit, and only use our clock-in app, with nothing to submit in CHAMPS.

What If You Disagree With a Decision?

If Home Help is denied or hours are reduced, MDHHS sends a written notice with a request for hearing form. Only the person receiving care can request the hearing, and Medicaid hearing requests are generally due within 90 days of the notice, according to MDHHS Bridges Administrative Manual 600 (opens in new tab). Before filing, it is often worth calling the adult services worker to ask how the decision was made. Sometimes missing information is the whole problem.

When an Agency Can Handle It for You

Reaching the right person at MDHHS can be hard, and so can knowing how to communicate with them once you do. Calling the local office, tracking down forms, and following up on a pending case takes time. When you work with a home care agency, most of your contact is with the agency's support team instead of a caseworker. Family Love Care helps families with the Home Help application, the medical needs form, preparing for the home visit, CHAMPS enrollment, and clock-in setup. We keep detailed contact information for every county office, individual caseworkers, and adult services supervisors, and we have working relationships with them. That means better communication and a smoother process. Many people who apply alone never get approved, and the paperwork is the usual reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Michigan Medicaid caregiver program?

It is the Michigan Home Help Program. It pays a caregiver, often a family member or friend, to provide hands-on help at home to a Michigan Medicaid recipient who needs assistance with daily tasks.

How do I request a hearing with MDHHS?

Use the request for hearing form that comes with the written notice and return it as the notice instructs. For Home Help, only the person receiving care can request a hearing.

Is there a Home Help phone number?

Applications go through your county's local MDHHS office. The statewide 1-800-979-4662 line is for enrolled caregivers and agencies with provider questions, not new applications.

If you would rather not navigate MDHHS alone, contact Family Love Care (opens in new tab) and we will walk you through every step.