Can you get paid to care for a family member in Texas?

Yes, through 3 programs we verified. In Texas, a spouse cannot be the paid attendant in the Medicaid Primary Home Care or Community Attendant Services programs. A spouse can be the paid attendant in the state's Family Care program, which is funded through the federal Social Services Block Grant. Many Texas HHS programs also offer Consumer Directed Services, where the person hires and manages their own workers. Ask your HHSC case worker which relatives can be hired in your program.

Which Texas programs pay family caregivers?

Primary Home Care (PHC) and Community Attendant Services (CAS)

• Who can be paid: Attendants employed by a contracted home care agency. The attendant cannot be the person's spouse, and in CAS cannot be the legal parent, foster parent or stepparent of a minor receiving services.
• Who qualifies for care: Texas Medicaid recipients who need help with personal care through these state plan programs.

Family Care (FC) Program

• Type: State-funded program
• Who can be paid: Personal attendants employed through a contracted agency. Unlike PHC and CAS, the rules allow a spouse to be the paid attendant.
• Who qualifies for care: Eligible individuals who need personal attendant services under this Title XX (Social Services Block Grant) program.

Consumer Directed Services (CDS) option

• Type: Medicaid self-direction
• Who can be paid: Workers the individual or their representative hires and manages as the employer, with a financial management services agency. Which relatives can be hired depends on the specific program's rules.
• Who qualifies for care: People receiving services through Texas HHS programs that offer the CDS option.

Are there national programs too?

Yes. Veterans may qualify for VA programs that pay or support family caregivers: Veteran Directed Care and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

What should you confirm with the state?

The attendant rules were read from a Cornell Law School copy of the Texas Administrative Code, not the state's own website, and the rules for hiring other relatives under CDS were not confirmed.