How to Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in Michigan

You Can Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in Michigan

If you're providing care for an aging parent, disabled sibling, or another relative who is on Michigan Medicaid, there's a real possibility you can be paid for that work — through the state's Home Help Program.

This isn't a workaround or a gray area. The Michigan Home Help Program is a formal Medicaid benefit, administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), specifically designed to pay family caregivers for in-home personal care services.

About 61,000 Michigan families are currently enrolled. If you're providing care and haven't applied, this guide is for you.

What Family Members Can Be Paid?

The Home Help Program allows most family members — except spouses — to be enrolled as paid caregivers. This includes:

Adult children caring for a parent
Siblings caring for a brother or sister
Grandchildren caring for a grandparent
Nieces and nephews caring for an aunt or uncle
Other family members and even close friends

Spouses are generally not eligible to be paid as caregivers for each other under the standard Home Help Program rules. All other close family relationships typically qualify if the care recipient meets the program requirements.

What Are the Requirements?

For the family member receiving care:

Must be a Michigan resident
Must be enrolled in Michigan Medicaid (including Healthy Michigan Plan)
Must need help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, meal preparation, or mobility
Must receive a functional assessment confirming their need for in-home services

For you, the caregiver:

Must be 18 or older
Must enroll as a provider in CHAMPS (Michigan's Medicaid system)
Must pass a criminal background check
Must verify visits using HHAeXchange (Michigan's EVV platform)

You do not need a nursing license, home care certification, or prior professional experience to qualify.

How Much Can You Earn?

Caregiver pay is based on two factors: the MDHHS hourly rate for Home Help services and the number of hours authorized for your family member.

Authorized hours are determined by a functional assessment of the care recipient's needs. The more assistance they require, the more hours are typically approved. The program covers up to 179.9 hours of care per month, depending on the assessed care level.

Payments come through the ASAP (Automated Service Authorization and Payment) system on a regular schedule. Most families see their first paycheck within a few weeks of completing enrollment.

What Care Tasks Are Covered?

Paid caregivers can be compensated for:

Personal care: Bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting
Mobility assistance: Help getting in and out of bed, chairs, or the shower
Meal prep: Cooking, feeding assistance, grocery shopping
Light housekeeping: Cleaning, laundry, tidying common areas
Errands: Transportation to appointments, pharmacy runs

Note: Skilled nursing tasks (administering medications, wound care, injections) are not covered under Home Help. Those services require a different Medicaid program.

How Do You Apply?

The application process runs through several Michigan state systems and typically takes 2–4 weeks from start to first paycheck. The main steps are:

Eligibility check — confirm the care recipient qualifies and the caregiver relationship is eligible
MDHHS application — complete the Home Help application (MSA-4676)
CHAMPS enrollment — register as a Medicaid provider and complete background screening
HHAeXchange setup — activate EVV so visits can be properly verified and paid
Service authorization — MDHHS authorizes the specific hours and services to be covered

Most families who try to navigate this on their own run into delays — missed steps, incorrect enrollment categories, or EVV issues that push back the first paycheck.

How Home Help Navigators Can Help

We handle the entire enrollment process at no cost to Michigan families. Our job is to get you enrolled correctly, avoid the common delays, and make sure your first paycheck arrives on schedule.

We're Michigan-based, veteran-owned, and we know the MDHHS Home Help system from the inside. If your family is already providing care, don't wait another month to find out if you can be paid for it.

Start with a free, no-obligation eligibility check — five questions and you'll have an answer.