Does Pennsylvania Pay for Home Health Care?

Date Updated: July 26, 2024

Written by:

Rachel Lustbader

Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.

Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers

Pennsylvania helps pay for home health care with three programs: traditional Medicaid, Community HealthChoices and Services My Way. While all three programs are separately administered, enrollees for each must meet income and eligibility guidelines.

Home Health Through Pennsylvania Medicaid

Pennsylvania Medicaid pays for necessary medical services for seniors who meet the program’s income and asset limitations. Seniors enrolled in Medicaid who need home health services on a short-term basis can get care through an approved Medicaid home health vendor, provided they have a doctor’s recommendation and a continuing care plan. Home health benefits in Pennsylvania run out after 60 days, after which seniors who still need care may have to transition over to the state’s waiver program.

Community HealthChoices

Community Health Choices is Pennsylvania’s home health and caregiver waiver program. With a CHC waiver, seniors who participate in Medicaid can continue to get home health services that can help them avoid nursing home placement. CHC pays professional home health aides who work for an enrolled and state-approved agency, but significant flexibility is built into the system for seniors who wish to change agencies or take more control over scheduling for their home health aide.

Services My Way

Services My Way is the beneficiary-directed program Pennsylvania uses to deliver all levels of home care and age-in-place services for its seniors. This isn’t a waiver program, and seniors enrolled in SMW must also participate in CHC and remain eligible for Medicaid. Instead, SMW is a kind of supplement to the other programs that allows beneficiaries to self-direct their resources toward caregiver assistance, home health services and various other senior support services, such as transportation and home modifications. SMW is a convenient umbrella that allows Pennsylvania seniors to manage all their home care needs as part of a single payment and management structure.