MICHIGAN · PROGRAM GUIDE

Michigan:
Home Help

Michigan Home Help supports eligible people who need hands-on assistance with daily tasks. The person receiving care employs the caregiver; the State of Michigan is not that person’s employer. A local Adult Services Worker assesses the need, while CHAMPS enrollment determines whether the selected provider is approved for payment. Keep those two decisions separate when planning to hire a relative.

Official sources checked: 2026-11-15. View references

Program at a glance

Program: Home Help
State agency: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), local Adult Services unit
Payroll or employer arrangement: MDHHS Home Help provider enrollment and service verification through CHAMPS; do not substitute an unrelated waiver payroll vendor.
Payment arrangement: Payment for assessed, approved tasks and service time; obtain the applicable caregiver rate from MDHHS.
Spouses: A client’s spouse cannot be the paid Home Help caregiver.
Parents of minors: A parent cannot be paid through Home Help to care for their minor child.

Home Help and MI Choice have different routes

Home Help is handled through MDHHS adult services. MI Choice is a separate waiver program; its care-management and eligibility arrangements should not be copied into a Home Help application. Start by naming the exact service when contacting an office or reading a provider advertisement. A family that needs a broader package of long-term supports can ask about other routes, but a different program name is not evidence that a spouse exclusion or enrollment requirement disappears automatically.

Document hands-on needs, not just a diagnosis

The Home Help application uses the Adult Services Application and a medical-needs certification. During the home visit, describe what the person can do independently, what requires physical assistance and how often that assistance is needed. Explain changes across a normal week without inflating tasks to reach a desired income. Medicaid financial eligibility remains a separate issue; some applicants with a deductible may still qualify under the applicable rules. Ask the Adult Services Worker how that deductible affects service authorization and payment.

Use the written decision and hearing information

MDHHS says the Home Help application process can take up to 45 days and describes a written approval or denial. This is a published application timeframe, not a promise that a new caregiver will receive a first paycheck on day 45. Worker enrollment and payroll verification are additional steps. Keep submission dates, copies of the two application documents and the decision notice. If the authorized tasks do not reflect the assessment, ask for an explanation and follow the hearing instructions in the notice.

CHAMPS approval is required for the chosen caregiver

An individual caregiver must be at least 18, cannot be the client’s spouse or a parent caring for their minor child, and cannot also receive Home Help. MDHHS requires CHAMPS enrollment and a background check before payment eligibility. An adult child or friend may therefore be a possible candidate, not an automatically approved worker. Ask whether an existing provider record needs updating, who must sign service verification and when the provider identification number will be available. Do not assume a submitted application means approval.

EVV and service verification are separate obligations

Michigan uses HHAeXchange for Home Help individual-caregiver EVV, with a mobile app or telephone option. Approved live-in caregivers can be exempt after submitting the required attestation and residence evidence. Service verification is still required, including for exempt workers. State materials describe an evolving Services Portal rollout, so check the current MDHHS instructions before changing the method used for payment records. A live-in exemption should be confirmed with the Adult Services Worker; receiving a vendor email does not itself cancel or establish that exemption.

Your next steps

Apply for Medicaid if necessary and contact the local MDHHS Adult Services unit about Home Help.
Submit the Adult Services Application and medical-needs certification and keep copies.
Attend the home assessment; include the proposed caregiver when possible and explain actual task needs.
Complete CHAMPS enrollment, the background review and any documented live-in EVV-exemption request.
Read the decision, confirm the approved tasks and rate, and follow current service-verification instructions.

Explore a pay scenario

The table uses a hypothetical amount of $18.00 per hour. This is not a rate verified for this state. Approved units depend on the assessment and written plan; the table does not establish a maximum or entitlement.

Illustrative gross amounts before applicable deductions
Hours/week	Weekly	Monthly average
20	$360.00	$1,560.00
30	$540.00	$2,340.00
40	$720.00	$3,120.00

Monthly average = weekly × 52 ÷ 12. Overtime and taxes are not calculated.

Edit this example in the calculator →

Does caregiver pay qualify for IRS Notice 2014-7?

IRS Notice 2014-7 can exclude certain qualifying Medicaid waiver payments from federal gross income when the care recipient lives in the provider’s home. Sharing a home alone is not enough: the payment and program must qualify. This is not an exemption for all caregiver wages, all taxes or all state programs. Ask payroll which payments are covered and check the IRS guidance or a qualified tax adviser. Our calculator does not apply a tax exemption.

Read the IRS questions and answers

Prepare for the conversation

Save the official program contact and application route.Prepare questions about family relationships and representative roles.Ask for the approved rate, units and start date in writing.Check enrollment, timekeeping and payroll instructions.Remember these task ticks on this device

Optional. Only task numbers are saved in your browser; nothing is sent to us. Untick to erase saved progress. Avoid saving on shared devices.

Questions families ask

Can a spouse receive Home Help pay?

No. MDHHS explicitly excludes a client’s spouse as the paid caregiver in Home Help. This answer should not be applied automatically to every Michigan benefit.

Is there a fixed 40-hour Home Help entitlement?

No. MDHHS describes individualized authorized time based on assessed tasks. A 20-, 30- or 40-hour calculator row is only a mathematical scenario.

Does living together remove all timekeeping requirements?

No. A documented EVV exemption does not remove service verification. Ask the Adult Services Worker and provider support which records remain required.

Does the 45-day application timeframe guarantee a paycheck?

No. The application decision, worker approval and payment verification are different stages. Confirm your specific authorized start date and payroll status.

Official sources and review notes

Sources describe the named programs; they do not endorse this website. Rules and provider arrangements can change. Check the linked agency before making a financial decision.

Suggest a correction with an official source →

Michigan:Home Help