How to Sign Up for Medicaid Home Care in Maryland

If you're caring for a parent, a spouse, or another loved one in Maryland, or you want to start, Maryland Medicaid's home care benefits can pay for that support at home. In many cases, they can also pay you as the family caregiver. This guide focuses on those home care benefits: what each program covers, who qualifies, who can be the paid caregiver, and the step-by-step process to apply once your loved one has Medicaid.

What Home Care Benefits Does Maryland Medicaid Offer?

Maryland Medicaid pays for personal care at home through three main programs. Each one covers hands-on help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting, and moving around the house, and each lets the person receiving care choose a family member, including a spouse, as their paid caregiver.

• Community First Choice (CFC): a Medicaid state plan benefit, not a waiver, for adults and children who meet an institutional level of care, such as a nursing facility level of care, but want to stay at home. There is no waiting list.
• Community Personal Assistance Services (CPAS): for people who need help with at least one activity of daily living but don't meet a nursing facility level of care. CPAS focuses on personal assistance.
• Community Options (CO) Waiver (opens in new tab): a home and community-based services waiver for adults 65 and older and adults 18 to 64 with physical disabilities who meet a nursing facility level of care. It can cover some services beyond personal care, but enrollment is capped and most applicants join a waiting list, the CO Waiver Registry, through MAP. People who have lived in a nursing facility with Medicaid paying for at least 30 days can skip the registry.

Families caring for a child or adult with a developmental disability can also ask about programs run by the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA).

Who Qualifies for Home Care Benefits in Maryland?

Qualifying for a home care benefit comes down to two things:

1. Your loved one has Maryland Medicaid. They need to be enrolled in Maryland Medicaid, or eligible for it. If they aren't enrolled yet, that step comes first (see the short section on applying for Medicaid below).
2. They need help with daily living. A nurse assessment confirms how much help your loved one needs with activities of daily living. That level of need decides which program fits: CPAS for people who need help with at least one daily activity, CFC for people who meet an institutional level of care, and the Community Options Waiver for adults who meet a nursing facility level of care.

Who Can Be the Paid Caregiver?

In Maryland, the person receiving care can choose a family member, friend, or neighbor as their paid caregiver, and spouses are allowed, as long as the spouse is not also serving as the participant's authorized representative. Caregivers are hired through a licensed agency and must pass a criminal background check and complete the required caregiver training before they can be paid. Through Family Love Care, Maryland caregivers typically earn $15 to $18 per hour, depending on the program, location, and care needs, and are paid bi-weekly by direct deposit.

How to Apply for Home Care Benefits in Maryland: Step by Step

Once your loved one has Medicaid, applying for home care usually follows these steps:

1. Contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) (opens in new tab). MAP is the front door for Maryland's home care programs. Call MAP at 1-844-627-5465 or contact your local MAP office to request a home care referral. Family Love Care can help you start this step.
2. Complete the nurse assessment. A nurse from your local health department's Assessments, Evaluation & Review Services (AERS) program meets with your loved one to assess daily living needs and confirm the level of care. Having medical records and a current medication list ready helps this go smoothly.
3. Work with a supports planner. A supports planning agency helps build a plan of service that lists the help your loved one needs, the number of hours, and who will provide the care.
4. Choose a provider agency and name your caregiver. Select a licensed agency, such as Family Love Care, and name the family member you want as the caregiver. The caregiver then completes onboarding, including a background check and training.
5. Get the plan approved and start care. The Maryland Department of Health reviews and approves the plan of service. Once it's approved, services begin and the caregiver is paid for the approved hours.

Maryland's home care benefits are carved out of the managed care system and paid directly by Medicaid, so you don't apply through your loved one's managed care organization (MCO). The process runs through MAP, the assessment, and the plan of service.

Documents to Have Ready for the Home Care Application

• Your loved one's Maryland Medicaid ID number
• Medical records and diagnoses that show the need for help with daily living
• A current list of medications and the names and contact information of their doctors
• Contact information for the family member who will be the caregiver
• Photo ID and Social Security number for the caregiver, for onboarding and the background check

What If Your Loved One Doesn't Have Medicaid Yet?

Home care benefits require Maryland Medicaid first. You can apply online through Maryland Health Connection at marylandhealthconnection.gov (opens in new tab), by phone through Maryland Health Connection at 1-855-642-8572, or through your local department of social services. Most adults who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) already have Maryland Medicaid. Income and asset limits differ by program and change each year, so confirm the current figures before assuming your loved one won't qualify.

How Many Hours of Home Care Will Medicaid Approve?

There's no single statewide amount. Approved hours depend on the nurse assessment and the plan of service. Some people receive a few hours of help each week, while others with greater needs are approved for daily support so they can keep living at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Maryland Medicaid pay for home care?

Yes. Community First Choice, Community Personal Assistance Services, and the Community Options Waiver pay for personal care at home for eligible children, adults, and seniors who need help with daily living.

Can I get paid to care for my parent or spouse in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland's home care programs let the person receiving care choose a family member as their paid caregiver, and spouses are allowed as long as they are not also the participant's authorized representative.

Is there a waiting list for home care in Maryland?

Community First Choice and CPAS don't have a waiting list. The Community Options Waiver has capped enrollment and a waiting list.

Do I apply for home care through my MCO?

No. Home care benefits in Maryland are carved out of managed care and paid directly by Medicaid. The application starts with Maryland Access Point.

What documents do I need to apply for home care?

Plan on your loved one's Medicaid ID, medical records that show the need for help with daily living, a medication list, doctor contact information, and the caregiver's ID for onboarding.

Get Free Help Applying for Home Care With Family Love Care

Applying for home care in Maryland involves several steps, and it's easy to lose time between the referral, the assessment, and the plan of service. Family Love Care helps Maryland families through each step for free, from the first call to MAP to getting the family caregiver approved and paid. In Maryland, Family Love Care also provides RN clinical oversight and caregiver training, so your loved one's care is supported the whole way. Call 443-578-3231 or visit familylovecare.com to get started.