Is There an IHSS Program in Michigan? What Michigan Families Use Instead

If you have searched for "IHSS Michigan," you are probably caring for a parent or relative at home and heard that some states pay family members to do it. That is true, and Michigan is one of them. But the program you heard about, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), belongs to California. Michigan does not have a program by that name. What Michigan families use instead is the Michigan Home Help Program, a Michigan Medicaid program run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) that pays a caregiver, often a family member, to help someone with daily living at home.

This guide explains what Michigan families use instead of IHSS, who qualifies, which family members can become a paid caregiver, what the job pays in 2026, and how the entire process works from the first phone call to the first paycheck.

Quick Answer: Is There an IHSS Program in Michigan?

No. IHSS is California's program. In Michigan, the closest match is the Michigan Home Help Program (opens in new tab). It is part of the Medicaid State Plan for personal care in the home, and like IHSS it pays family members and friends to provide hands-on care to a loved one in their own home. For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid and live in certain regions, personal care comes through MI Coordinated Health (MICH) instead. Both are covered below.

What IHSS Is, and Why Michigan Families Search for It

IHSS is the program California uses to pay caregivers, including many family members, to help people with disabilities and older adults stay at home. Because it is one of the largest and best-known Medicaid caregiver programs in the country, "IHSS" has become a shorthand that people search for in every state. Michigan built its own program for the same purpose long ago. The names are different, but the idea is the same: Medicaid pays for hands-on help at home so a person does not have to move into a nursing home or adult foster care.

Michigan's Answer to IHSS: The Michigan Home Help Program

The Michigan Home Help Program pays for personal care services for Michigan Medicaid recipients who need hands-on assistance with everyday tasks. It is administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through local MDHHS offices, where an adult services worker handles each case. MDHHS describes the program on its Independent Living (Home Help) page (opens in new tab).

A few things make Home Help the right starting point for most Michigan families:

• It is for anyone who needs help with everyday tasks. People with higher needs, including those who need nursing home level of care, are covered too. That level of need just isn't required.
• There is no waitlist. Home Help is an entitlement: if the person meets the eligibility requirements, services can be approved.
• The person receiving care chooses the caregiver. In most cases that can be a family member, a friend, or a neighbor.
• There is no out of pocket cost to the person receiving care for approved hours. The program is funded through Michigan Medicaid.

MI Coordinated Health for People With Medicare and Medicaid

On January 1, 2026, MI Coordinated Health (MICH) replaced MI Health Link for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid and live in Wayne County, Macomb County, Southwest Michigan, or the Upper Peninsula. A MICH plan covers medical care, prescriptions, and long-term care at home in one plan, and it is also called a HIDE-SNP or D-SNP. Plans include UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Molina, Meridian, HAP CareSource, AmeriHealth Caritas, and Priority Health.

The important rule: a person gets personal care either through Home Help or through their MICH plan, not both. According to the MDHHS Adult Services Manual (opens in new tab), if someone enrolled in Home Help chooses a MICH plan, the Home Help case is closed and personal care continues through the plan. You can learn more on our MI Coordinated Health page (opens in new tab).

Where the MI Choice Waiver Fits

Some families also hear about the MI Choice Waiver. It is a separate Medicaid waiver for people who meet a nursing facility level of care. Because it is a waiver rather than an entitlement, slots are limited and there can be waitlists. Home Help has no waitlist and is always the faster approval, so even families who eventually want MI Choice should apply for Home Help first.

What the Michigan Home Help Program Covers

Home Help pays for hands-on assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and some instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). According to the MDHHS Adult Services Manual (opens in new tab), covered tasks include:

• Activities of daily living: eating, toileting, bathing, grooming, dressing, transferring, and mobility.
• Instrumental activities of daily living: meal preparation, shopping, laundry, light housekeeping, and help with medication.

To qualify, a person must need hands-on help with at least one ADL. Help with IADLs, like meal preparation and light housekeeping, is added on top of that. Home Help is personal care, not skilled medical care. Nursing visits and therapy come from home health agencies under a separate benefit, which we explain in home health care vs. home care (opens in new tab).

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for Home Help, the person receiving care generally needs to meet all of the following:

• Michigan residents only. The person must live in Michigan, in a private home rather than a licensed facility such as adult foster care.
• Michigan Medicaid enrollment. The person must have active Michigan Medicaid or apply as part of the process. For most older adults and people with disabilities, the 2026 asset limit is $9,950 for one person, according to MDHHS Bridges Eligibility Manual 400 (opens in new tab). Income rules depend on the Medicaid category.
• A documented need for hands-on help. The person must need physical help with at least one activity of daily living, confirmed by a home assessment and a medical needs form.

If income or assets look too high, don't assume the door is closed. Medicaid has planning options, and an elder law attorney can explain them.

Can a Family Member Get Paid to Be a Caregiver in Michigan?

Yes. Michigan's Home Help Program pays family members, including adult children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews, and the caregiver does not have to be family at all. Friends and neighbors qualify too. A paid caregiver must be at least 18, pass a criminal background check, and enroll as a provider in CHAMPS, Michigan's Medicaid provider system.

There are 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. Michigan treats them as responsible relatives. Another person can be paid to provide that care only if the spouse or parent can't give the care because of their own physical limitations, or because they work and aren't available. These cases are easy to get wrong, so working with an experienced agency helps prevent an incorrect denial. Once a child turns 18, a parent can be paid as their Home Help caregiver.

How Much Does Michigan Pay Family Caregivers?

As of January 1, 2026, the Michigan Home Help rate for individual caregivers paid directly by the state is $17.13 per hour: the $13.73 Michigan minimum wage plus a $3.40 direct care worker supplement, according to MDHHS Adult Services Bulletin 2026-002 (opens in new tab). Caregivers who work through a home care agency like Family Love Care can earn $18 or more per hour.

How you are paid also depends on which route you take:

• Directly with the state: paid once a month by paper check mailed to the care recipient's home. Starting in 2026, union dues are taken out of individual caregivers' pay.
• Through Family Love Care: paid every two weeks by direct deposit.

Total pay depends on how many hours MDHHS approves, which is based on the person's documented needs. There is no flat number of hours for every family. You can see more detail on our Home Help pay rates page (opens in new tab).

How Many Hours Does Home Help Approve?

The number of hours comes from the home assessment. The MDHHS adult services worker looks at each task the person needs help with, how long it takes, and how often it happens, and uses that to determine approved monthly hours in a care plan. Some IADLs have monthly limits; for example, meal preparation is capped at 25 hours per month and shopping at 5. When assessed needs exceed about 180 hours per month, MDHHS requires a separate approval for what it calls Expanded Home Help Services, according to the Adult Services Manual (opens in new tab).

If needs change later, for example after a fall or a hospital stay, the family can ask the adult services worker to reassess the care plan.

How to Apply: The Michigan Home Help Process

Here is the approval process, in the order it happens:

1. Get Michigan Medicaid. If the person isn't enrolled yet, Medicaid enrollment comes first. This is where income, asset, and residency documents are needed. Apply through MI Bridges (opens in new tab), by mail, or at a local MDHHS office.
2. Submit the Home Help application. The person receiving care completes and signs the DHS-390 Adult Services Application and submits it to the local MDHHS office.
3. Get the medical needs form. A medical professional completes the MDHHS-6200 Medical Needs Certification. If the person was seen recently, you can usually ask the doctor's office to fill it out and submit it without a new appointment.
4. Complete the home assessment. Once the application and the medical needs form are both in, the MDHHS adult services worker schedules the Adult Services Comprehensive Assessment at the home.
5. Get approved hours. MDHHS sets the care plan and the approved services. MDHHS has 45 days (opens in new tab) to decide a standard application.
6. Enroll the caregiver in CHAMPS. When done correctly, CHAMPS enrollment can be finished in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Delays come from people navigating registration on their own and making mistakes.
7. Start care and get paid.

From the first call to the first paycheck, the entire process typically takes about 45 to 60 days. Our Michigan Home Help checklist (opens in new tab) walks through each step in more detail.

What to Expect at the Home Assessment

The home assessment is the step that decides how many hours your loved one gets, so it helps to be ready for it. The MDHHS adult services worker comes to the home, confirms Medicaid eligibility, reviews the medical needs form, and asks the person receiving care to describe what they can and can't do on their own. The worker also wants to hear from the family member or friend who provides the care.

A few ways to prepare:

• Write down every task you help with in a normal week, how long each one takes, and how often it happens. Include the hard days, not just the good ones.
• Be specific. "I help Mom shower" is less useful than "Mom can't step into the tub on her own, so I help her in and out and wash her back and hair, about 30 minutes, every day."
• Have the person receiving care take part. The worker needs to hear from them directly, but it's fine for you to fill in what they leave out.
• Keep copies of the application, the medical needs form, and any letters from MDHHS.

After the visit, the worker builds the care plan and lists the approved services and hours. If you think the hours are too low, ask the worker how they were calculated before you assume the decision is final.

Clocking In: Electronic Visit Verification

Michigan requires electronic visit verification (EVV) for Home Help caregivers. How it works depends on how the caregiver is enrolled:

• Directly with the state: the caregiver sets up the HHAeXchange app to clock in and out, and also enters the work done in CHAMPS for every day worked. They don't have to log in every day and can enter it all at the end of the month, but each day needs its own entry.
• Through Family Love Care: the caregiver is set up and trained on our clock-in app and has nothing to submit in CHAMPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. Through the Michigan Home Help Program, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, other relatives, friends, and neighbors can be paid caregivers. The exceptions are a spouse caring for their husband or wife and a parent caring for their own minor child.

What is the current hourly pay rate for family caregivers in Michigan?

Caregivers paid directly by the state earn $17.13 per hour as of January 1, 2026. Caregivers who work through Family Love Care can earn $18 or more per hour.

What will the pay schedule for Home Help individual caregivers be in 2026?

Individual caregivers paid directly by the state are paid once a month by paper check mailed to the care recipient's home, and union dues are taken out starting in 2026. Family Love Care caregivers are paid every two weeks by direct deposit.

Does Michigan Medicaid pay for in-home caregivers?

Yes. Michigan Medicaid pays for in-home personal care through the Michigan Home Help Program and, for people with both Medicare and Medicaid in covered regions, through MI Coordinated Health plans.

What if Home Help is denied or the hours are cut?

Only the person receiving care can request a hearing. MDHHS sends a request for hearing form with every denial or reduction notice, and Medicaid hearing requests are generally due within 90 days of the written notice, according to MDHHS Bridges Administrative Manual 600 (opens in new tab). If a current case is being reduced or closed, asking for a hearing before the change takes effect keeps payments going while the hearing is pending.

Can the caregiver live with the person receiving care?

Yes. Many Home Help caregivers live in the same home. Live-in caregivers may qualify for an exemption from electronic visit verification, which MDHHS approves through a separate attestation form, according to the MDHHS Adult Services Manual (opens in new tab).

Is there a waitlist for Home Help?

No. Home Help has no waitlist for people who meet the program rules, which is why it is usually the fastest way to get approved services.

How Family Love Care Helps Michigan Families

Michigan does not have IHSS, but it has something that works the same way for many families. Family Love Care is a home care agency that helps Michigan families through the Home Help process: the application, the medical needs form, the home assessment, CHAMPS enrollment, and EVV setup. Caregivers who work with us earn $18 or more per hour, are paid every two weeks by direct deposit, and have a support team that is easy to reach. If you are caring for a loved one in Michigan, contact Family Love Care (opens in new tab) to find out if they qualify.