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Home care programs · Mississippi

Mississippi home care programs

Mississippi pays for care at home through 6 programs. Consumer-directed care is available through Independent Living Waiver. Family members can be paid caregivers in 2 of them.

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

Every state
Programs
6
Consumer-directed
Yes
Family can be paid
Yes
Structured family caregiving
No
On this page
Programs

Every way Mississippi pays for care at home

Mississippi pays for care at home through 6 programs. Consumer-directed care is available through Independent Living Waiver. Family members can be paid caregivers in 2 of them.

ProgramTypeCan family be paidHow it differs
Home health services (Mississippi Medicaid) (HHA)State Plan home health (42 CFR 440.70)Home healthNoSkilled 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, available through fee-for-service and managed care.
Independent Living Waiver1915(c) waiver MS.0255Consumer-directedYesConsumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; run as a 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver, paid fee-for-service.
Elderly and Disabled Waiver1915(c) waiver MS.0272 (renewed effective 2023-07-01)Waiver 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.
ID/DD Waiver1915(c) waiver MS.0282Waiver 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.
IDD Community Support Program (CSP)1915(i) State Plan HCBSWaiver 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(i) state plan HCBS benefit, paid fee-for-service.
Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver1915(c) waiver MS.0366Waiver 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.
Guide

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

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

Home health: the medical benefit

In Mississippi, skilled home health is Home health services (Mississippi Medicaid) (HHA). 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 Mississippi Medicaid can bill it, and the agency's own nurses, therapists and aides make the visits. Family members are not paid under this benefit.

Home care: non-medical personal care through an agency

Help with bathing, dressing, eating and household tasks is "home care" or personal care. In Mississippi it is paid through the programs below rather than a separate agency personal care benefit.

Consumer-directed care: the person hires their own aide

Mississippi's consumer-directed option is Independent Living Waiver. 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: Independent Living Waiver allows 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

Mississippi has no structured family caregiving program. A family caregiver is paid instead through consumer-directed care (Independent Living Waiver), by the hour, as the participant's chosen aide.

Other ways Mississippi pays for care at home

Waiver in-home services: Elderly and Disabled Waiver, ID/DD Waiver, IDD Community Support Program (CSP), and Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver. 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.

Which one fits

  • Needs nursing, wound care, injections or therapy at home: home health (Home health services (Mississippi Medicaid) (HHA)).
  • Wants to choose the aide, including a relative where allowed: Independent Living Waiver.
  • Meets nursing-home level of care and needs more than personal care: Elderly and Disabled Waiver, ID/DD Waiver, IDD Community Support Program (CSP), and Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver.
In the workspace

Mississippi 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: 56 details across 6 programs.

ProgramFamily rulesEmployerEligibilityPay
See Mississippi'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 6 programs.

  • Family caregiver rules
  • Provider requirements
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Program by program

Mississippi's programs

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

Home health services (Mississippi Medicaid) (HHA)

Home health

State Plan home health (42 CFR 440.70) · Mississippi Division of Medicaid

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, available through fee-for-service and managed care.

Can family be paid?No
How to get set up
Provider track · 6 steps
  1. Certificate of Need
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 4 steps
  1. Medicaid coverage
  2. 3 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 plansHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Independent Living Waiver

Consumer-directed

1915(c) waiver MS.0255 · Mississippi Division of Medicaid; operated by the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS)

Consumer-directed care: the participant hires and directs their own aide, with payroll handled for them; 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 · 3 steps
  1. Medicaid enrollment
  2. 2 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 6 steps
  1. Contact MDRS
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVWaiting list or capHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Elderly and Disabled Waiver

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver MS.0272 (renewed effective 2023-07-01) · Mississippi Division of Medicaid; case management by Planning and Development Districts

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 · 6 steps
  1. Pre-application qualifications
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 6 steps
  1. Referral
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredHours or budgetFamily caregiver rulesEmployer of recordCaregiver requirementsProvider requirementsHow to become a providerEVVWaiting list or capRecent changesHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

ID/DD Waiver

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver MS.0282 · Mississippi Department of Mental Health (Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)

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 · 6 steps
  1. DMH Interested Provider Portal
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 6 steps
  1. Regional center evaluation
  2. 5 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsWaiting list or capHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

IDD Community Support Program (CSP)

Waiver in-home

1915(i) State Plan HCBS · Mississippi Department of Mental Health

Waiver in-home services: supports at home for people who meet a nursing-home or similar level of care; run as a 1915(i) state plan HCBS benefit, paid fee-for-service.

Can family be paid?Not stated
How to get set up
Provider track · 5 steps
  1. DMH Interested Provider Portal
  2. 4 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 4 steps
  1. Regional center evaluation
  2. 3 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →

Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver

Waiver in-home

1915(c) waiver MS.0366 · Mississippi Division of Medicaid; operated by MDRS

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 · 3 steps
  1. Selective contracting
  2. 2 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Family / participant track · 4 steps
  1. Referral to MDRS
  2. 3 more steps: forms, fees, timelines and links
Open the full checklist →
EligibilityServices coveredEmployer of recordProvider requirementsWaiting list or capHow it differs, in detailSetup checklistUnlock the details →
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can family members get paid to be caregivers in Mississippi?

Yes. Independent Living Waiver and Elderly and Disabled Waiver let a family member be the paid caregiver. Which relatives qualify, including spouses and parents of minor children, is set program by program.

Does Mississippi have consumer-directed care?

Yes: Independent Living Waiver. The person receiving care hires and directs their own aide, and a fiscal intermediary handles payroll.

Does Mississippi have structured family caregiving?

No. Mississippi 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 Mississippi?

Home health (Home health services (Mississippi Medicaid) (HHA)) is medical: nursing, therapy and aide visits ordered by a practitioner and delivered by a licensed home health agency. Home care is non-medical help with daily activities, based on functional need.

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