California Medicaid home care rates
California Medicaid pays $36.35 per hour for respite care (hourly) delivered by a agency provider, effective January 1, 2026, the 5th highest of 15 states with comparable rates. Below: 2 more home care rates compared with every state we track, the wages of the staff who deliver them, and recent rate changes.
- Respite care (hourly)
- $36.35per hour
- Rank among states
- 5 of 15+31.9% vs median
- Home health / personal care aide median wage
- $16.50BLS May 2025
- California minimum wage
- $16.90$17.40 from January 1, 2027
California home care rates vs other states
Fee-for-service, like-for-like by provider level. Click a rate to open California's official fee schedule.
| Service | Provider level | Code | CA rate | Unit | Per hour | Rank | Median across states | Lowest | Highest | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care / attendant care (hourly) | Agency provider | Not published | $27.00/hr | $18.28 | $39.00 | 11 | ||||
| Homemaker / housekeeping help | Agency provider | Not published | $30.80/hr | $17.40 | $35.61 | 5 | ||||
| Companion care | Aide or attendant | Not published | $189.29/day | $165.39 | $232.28 | 3 | ||||
| Respite care (hourly) | Agency provider | 862 | $36.35 | hour | $36.35 | 5 of 15 | $27.56/hr | $14.95 | $74.04 | 15 |
| Respite care (daily) | Agency provider | Not published | $250.00/day | $10.59 | $938.09 | 15 | ||||
| Adult day services | Clinical nurse specialist | S5102 | $76.27 | day | — | 1 of 4 | $41.45/day | $2.63 | $76.27 | 4 |
| Financial management services (self-direction) | Self-directed worker | 491 | $265.00 | month | — | 1 of 6 | $110.91/month | $36.75 | $265.00 | 6 |
Respite care (hourly): where California ranks
States whose published unit can't be converted are left out of the ranking.
| # | State | Rate | Unit | Per hour | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $18.51 | 15 min | $74.04 | 2022-07-01 |
| 2 | New York | $14.83 | 15 min | $59.32 | 2026-04-01 |
| 3 | Maryland | $9.72 | 15 min | $38.88 | 2024-07-01 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $9.64 | 15 min | $38.56 | 2026-01-01 |
| 5 | California | $36.35 | hour | $36.35 | 2026-01-01 |
| 6 | Missouri | $8.14 | 15 min | $32.56 | 2023-07-01 |
| 7 | Colorado | $7.28 | 15 min | $29.12 | 2026-07-01 |
| 8 | Georgia | $6.89 | 15 min | $27.56 | 2024-07-01 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $6.59 | 15 min | $26.36 | 2025-07-01 |
| 10 | Michigan | $6.40 | 15 min | $25.60 | 2019-01-01 |
| 11 | Illinois | $25.00 | hour | $25.00 | 2026-07-01 |
| 12 | Texas | $23.29 | hour | $23.29 | 2025-09-01 |
| 13 | Arizona | $5.63 | 15 min | $22.52 | 2026-10-01 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $4.49 | 15 min | $17.96 | 2018-07-01 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $14.95 | hour | $14.95 | 2026-07-01 |
What it costs to deliver in California
Median hourly wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025).
| Role | CA median | US median | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home health / personal care aide | $16.50 | $17.21 | -4.1% |
| Registered nurse | $67.44 | $46.90 | +43.8% |
The workspace adds every modifier, region and provider variant, full rate history, proposed changes, coverage and prior-authorization rules, managed-care plans and a unit-economics calculator. All of it is available through the API.
Rates are taken from California's official Medicaid publications, and each one links to its source. Confirm with the payer before billing. Managed-care plans may pay differently from fee-for-service.