What Is Medicaid Home Care Through an LHCSA?
In New York, Medicaid pays for home care through Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs). A LHCSA like FreedomCare provides personal care and home health aide services to people who qualify for Medicaid.
A trained, certified aide takes care of the daily needs of the person receiving care, and because this runs through Medicaid, the aide is paid for the hours they work. FreedomCare handles the paperwork, payroll, and support, and offers instant pay after each shift, so families can focus on care instead of billing.
Not everyone qualifies, and there are specific criteria to meet. Here is what to know.
How Do You Qualify for Medicaid Home Care?
Medicaid home care is for people who need help at home because of age, disability, or a chronic condition. If that describes the person you care for, they may qualify, though an application and an assessment come first.
After you apply, a nurse or case manager completes an assessment, usually in the home, to confirm that home care is needed and to determine how much care and how many hours are appropriate.
You can generally qualify if the person receiving care meets the following:
They Need Help With Daily Tasks
There has to be a real need for home care, help with everyday activities such as household chores, laundry, grooming, cooking and meal prep, bathing, getting to and from doctor’s appointments, and managing medications.
They Have a Qualifying Medical Condition
The person receiving care generally needs to be elderly, living with a disability, or managing a chronic illness that creates the need for in-home help.
They Are a New York Resident on Medicaid
The person receiving care must live in New York State and be enrolled in New York Medicaid. Medicaid helps New Yorkers with limited income access health care services, and active Medicaid coverage is required for home care through an LHCSA.
Before moving forward, it helps to understand who can actually provide the care.
Who Can Be Your Home Care Aide?
This is where families ask the most questions, and it is worth being clear. With FreedomCare’s LHCSA path, the person providing care must be a New York State certified Personal Care Aide (PCA) or Home Health Aide (HHA). The good news is that the aide can still be someone you know: FreedomCare can train and certify a family member or friend, or work with an aide who is already certified.
There are limits on which relatives can be the paid aide. A caregiver cannot be the patient’s:
- Spouse
- Parent (if the person receiving care is a minor)
- Son or daughter
- Son-in-law or daughter-in-law
Outside of those relationships, many family members and friends can serve as the certified aide. Other relatives, such as siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, and grandchildren, may be able to provide care as long as they complete certification and are legally able to work.
If your situation is not clear-cut, that is exactly the kind of thing we can sort out with you on a quick call, before you invest time in an application.
Who Pays the Aide?
Because Medicaid home care is funded through New York State Medicaid, families do not have to worry about a separate insurance company covering the cost of the aide. As the licensed agency, FreedomCare handles payroll and pays the certified aide for the hours they work, with instant pay available after each shift.
Is Medicaid Home Care Only in New York City?
No. Medicaid home care is available across New York State, not just in New York City. As long as the person receiving care is on New York Medicaid and qualifies, they can access home care wherever they live in the state. FreedomCare serves families in counties across New York.
If you are not sure whether this is the right path, it can help to look at the advantages compared with traditional home care.
What Are the Benefits of Medicaid Home Care Through FreedomCare?
There are several reasons families choose this path:
- Care from someone you trust. FreedomCare can train and certify a family member or friend as the aide, so the person receiving care is looked after by someone familiar rather than a stranger.
- Free certification. If a family member wants to provide the care but is not yet certified, FreedomCare can handle the training and certification at no cost.
- Get paid for care you may already be giving. Many families are already providing unpaid care. Through Medicaid home care, a qualified aide is paid for that work.
- Agency-level support. As a licensed agency, FreedomCare handles onboarding, paperwork, and payroll, and offers instant pay after each shift.
How Can FreedomCare Help?
Applying for Medicaid home care involves paperwork and steps that can feel overwhelming when you are already stretched thin. FreedomCare is a licensed home care agency serving families across New York State, and we handle the formalities so you do not have to.
We help you understand whether you qualify, guide you through the Medicaid and home care process, train and certify your chosen aide, manage payroll, and pay the aide, with instant pay after each shift. Let us help you get care in place for the person you love.
