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Home care programs · Colorado

Colorado home care programs

Colorado pays for care at home through 13 programs. Consumer-directed care is available through Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS). Family members can be paid caregivers in 7 of them.

Verified Oct 9, 2026Sources: official state and federal agencies

Every state
Programs
13
Consumer-directed
Yes
Family can be paid
Yes
Structured family caregiving
No
On this page
Programs

Every way Colorado pays for care at home

Colorado pays for care at home through 13 programs. Consumer-directed care is available through Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS). Family members can be paid caregivers in 7 of them.

ProgramTypeCan family be paidHow it differs
Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH)State Plan home health (42 CFR 440.70)Home healthYesSkilled home health: nursing, therapy and aide visits under a plan of care from a licensed home health agency; run as a Medicaid State Plan benefit, paid fee-for-service.
Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker1915(k) Community First Choice (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7001 et seq.)Agency personal careYesAgency personal care: non-medical daily help from aides a licensed agency employs; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.
Pediatric Personal Care (PPC)State Plan personal care (1905(a)(24))Agency personal careNoAgency personal care: non-medical daily help from aides a licensed agency employs; run as a Medicaid State Plan benefit, paid fee-for-service.
Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS)1915(k) Community First Choice service delivery option (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7515)Consumer-directedYesConsumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.
In-Home Support Services (IHSS)1915(k) Community First Choice service delivery option (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7528)Consumer-directedYesConsumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.
Children with Complex Health Needs Waiver (CwCHN)1915(c) waiver CO.0450Waiver in-homeNot statedWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES)1915(c) waiver CO.4180Waiver in-homeYesWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Complementary and Integrative Health Waiver (HCBS-CIH)1915(c) waiver CO.0961Waiver in-homeNot statedWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD)1915(c) waiver CO.0006Waiver in-homeYesWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
HCBS Waiver for Community Mental Health Supports (CMHS)1915(c) waiver CO.0268Waiver in-homeNot statedWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Persons with Brain Injury Waiver (HCBS-BI)1915(c) waiver CO.0288Waiver in-homeNot statedWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS)1915(c) waiver CO.0293Waiver in-homeYesWaiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)PACE (42 CFR Part 460)PACENot statedPACE: one organization covers medical care, a day center and home care for people 55 and over; run as the PACE benefit.
Guide

Home health vs home care vs consumer-directed care in Colorado

What each kind of program is, who employs the caregiver and when a family member can be paid.

Home health: the medical benefit

In Colorado, skilled home health is Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH). It is a medical benefit: a doctor or other practitioner orders nursing, therapy or home health aide visits under a written plan of care, and the visits stop when the skilled need ends.

Only a licensed home health agency enrolled with Colorado Medicaid can bill it, and the agency's own nurses, therapists and aides make the visits.

Home care: non-medical personal care through an agency

Help with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and household tasks is "home care" or personal care. In Colorado the agency route is Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker and Pediatric Personal Care (PPC). No skilled need is required; the person qualifies on functional need, usually measured by an assessment of daily activities.

The agency recruits, trains, schedules and pays the aides, and it is the employer. Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker lets the agency hire a family member as the aide, with the agency still the employer.

Consumer-directed care: the person hires their own aide

Colorado's consumer-directed option is Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS). The person receiving care, or a representative, recruits, hires, trains, schedules and supervises the aide, and can let go of one. A fiscal intermediary runs payroll, taxes and background checks, so the person never handles wages directly.

This is the route most families use to be paid: Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) allow a relative to be hired as the paid aide. Which relatives qualify (adult children, parents of adults, spouses, legal guardians) and how a live-in caregiver is treated are set program by program.

Structured family caregiving: a paid live-in family caregiver

Colorado has no structured family caregiving program. A family caregiver is paid instead through consumer-directed care (Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS)), by the hour, as the participant's chosen aide.

Other ways Colorado pays for care at home

Waiver in-home services: Children with Complex Health Needs Waiver (CwCHN), Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES), Complementary and Integrative Health Waiver (HCBS-CIH), Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD), HCBS Waiver for Community Mental Health Supports (CMHS), Persons with Brain Injury Waiver (HCBS-BI), and Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS). These pay for in-home supports for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care, often with more services than state plan personal care and, in some programs, a waiting list or enrollment cap.

PACE: Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). One PACE organization covers medical care, a day center and home care for people 55 and over who need nursing-home level care.

Which one fits

  • Needs nursing, wound care, injections or therapy at home: home health (Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH)).
  • Needs daily help and wants an agency to supply and manage the aide: Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker and Pediatric Personal Care (PPC).
  • Wants to choose the aide, including a relative where allowed: Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS).
  • Meets nursing-home level of care and needs more than personal care: Children with Complex Health Needs Waiver (CwCHN), Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES), Complementary and Integrative Health Waiver (HCBS-CIH), Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD), HCBS Waiver for Community Mental Health Supports (CMHS), Persons with Brain Injury Waiver (HCBS-BI), and Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS).
In the workspace

Colorado program rules, side by side

Eligibility, the family caregiver rules (spouses, parents, live-in caregivers), employer of record, fiscal intermediary, caregiver training, provider requirements, how to enroll, published pay, EVV and waiting lists: 147 details across 13 programs.

ProgramFamily rulesEmployerEligibilityPay
See Colorado's program rules — start free

Who can be paid, who employs the caregiver, what each program requires of agencies and caregivers, how to become a provider and what it pays, for all 13 programs.

  • Family caregiver rules
  • Provider requirements
  • CSV export
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Program by program

Colorado's programs

What each program is and how it differs from the others. Locked details open in the workspace.

Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH)

Home health

State Plan home health (42 CFR 440.70) · HCPF

Skilled home health: nursing, therapy and aide visits under a plan of care from a licensed home health agency; run as a Medicaid State Plan benefit, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 8 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 7 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 6 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker

Agency personal care

1915(k) Community First Choice (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7001 et seq.) · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Agency personal care: non-medical daily help from aides a licensed agency employs; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerPay rateEVVWaiting list or capManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Pediatric Personal Care (PPC)

Agency personal care

State Plan personal care (1905(a)(24)) · HCPF

Agency personal care: non-medical daily help from aides a licensed agency employs; run as a Medicaid State Plan benefit, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?No
How to get set up
Provider track · 10 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 9 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 7 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 6 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordProvider requirementsEVVHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS)

Consumer-directed

1915(k) Community First Choice service delivery option (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7515) · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Consumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 4 steps
  1. No open provider enrollment — state-contracted FMS
  2. 3 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 11 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 10 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordFiscal intermediaryCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerPay rateEVVWaiting list or capManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

In-Home Support Services (IHSS)

Consumer-directed

1915(k) Community First Choice service delivery option (10 CCR 2505-10 § 8.7528) · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Consumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; run as a Community First Choice (1915(k)) state plan option, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 11 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 10 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 10 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 9 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordFiscal intermediaryCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerPay rateEVVWaiting list or capManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Children with Complex Health Needs Waiver (CwCHN)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0450 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 7 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 6 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 6 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado through the waiver
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.4180 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 9 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Complementary and Integrative Health Waiver (HCBS-CIH)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0961 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0006 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVWaiting list or capManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

HCBS Waiver for Community Mental Health Supports (CMHS)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0268 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Persons with Brain Injury Waiver (HCBS-BI)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0288 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 10 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 9 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS)

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver CO.0293 · Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Yes
How to get set up
Provider track · 9 steps
  1. Form the business and get tax/NPI numbers
  2. 8 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 8 steps
  1. Get Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
  2. 7 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVManaged-care plansRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

PACE

PACE (42 CFR Part 460) · HCPF with CMS

PACE: one organization covers medical care, a day center and home care for people 55 and over; run as the PACE benefit.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 6 steps
  1. Form the organization
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 6 steps
  1. Contact the local PACE organization
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow to become a providerHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can family members get paid to be caregivers in Colorado?

Yes. Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH), Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker, Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS), In-Home Support Services (IHSS), Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES), Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Waiver (HCBS-EBD), and Supported Living Services Waiver (SLS) let a family member be the paid caregiver. Which relatives qualify, including spouses and parents of minor children, is set program by program.

Does Colorado have consumer-directed care?

Yes: Consumer-Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) and In-Home Support Services (IHSS). The person receiving care hires and directs their own aide, and a fiscal intermediary handles payroll.

Does Colorado have structured family caregiving?

No. Colorado does not run a structured family caregiving program. Family caregivers are paid through consumer-directed care instead.

What is the difference between home health and home care in Colorado?

Home health (Home Health Services (Acute Home Health and Long-Term Home Health) (LTHH)) is medical: nursing, therapy and aide visits ordered by a practitioner and delivered by a licensed home health agency. Home care (Community First Choice (CFC) Agency-Based Personal Care and Homemaker and Pediatric Personal Care (PPC)) is non-medical help with daily activities, based on functional need.

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