Is There CDPAP or IHSS in Georgia?What Georgia Uses Instead

No. CDPAP is a New York Medicaid program and IHSS is a California program, so neither one exists in Georgia. Georgia covers the same kind of help through its own Medicaid waivers. For older adults and adults with physical disabilities, that waiver is EDWP, the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program.

Inside EDWP, two options come closest to what families know from other states. Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) supports a relative who lives with the Medicaid member. Consumer-Directed Personal Support Services let the member hire and supervise their own worker. This guide explains each one and how to start.

CDPAP, IHSS and Georgia at a glance

• CDPAP: New York only; the Medicaid member hires their own personal assistant
• IHSS: California only; run by counties under Medi-Cal
• Georgia's umbrella program: EDWP, run by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH)
• Closest match for a live-in relative: Structured Family Caregiving (SFC)
• Closest match for hiring your own worker: Consumer-Directed Personal Support Services
• Front door in Georgia: your local Area Agency on Aging, at 866-552-4464

Who qualifies for Georgia's version of in-home care?

Georgia's EDWP has its own rules. They are not the same as New York's or California's. According to the DCH EDWP fact sheet, a person generally needs to:

• Be 21 or older
• Have a functional impairment from physical limitations (DCH counts Alzheimer's disease and dementia as physical conditions)
• Need care that is not already met
• Be approved for an intermediate nursing home level of care
• Have a care plan approved by a physician
• Have Medicaid, or be likely to qualify once enrolled
• Prefer care in the community over care in a facility

Medicaid also has financial rules. People on SSI apply through Social Security. Others apply for Medicaid at their county DFCS office. The fact sheet notes that income and resource limits apply, and that special asset rules protect a spouse. You do not need to be homebound.

What are CDPAP and IHSS?

People search for these names because a friend or relative used them in another state. Here is what each one is.

CDPAP (New York)

CDPAP stands for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. The New York State Department of Health runs it for Medicaid members who need home care. The member chooses and hires a personal assistant. Friends and many relatives can be hired. A spouse cannot. One statewide fiscal intermediary handles payroll and taxes. The program exists only in New York.

IHSS (California)

IHSS stands for In-Home Supportive Services. The California Department of Social Services oversees it, and each county runs it. It serves people who are older, blind or disabled and on Medi-Cal. After approval, the recipient can hire a provider. A friend or relative can be that provider.

What does Georgia use instead of CDPAP and IHSS?

Georgia does not use one program for everything. It offers several service options inside its waivers. The table shows which Georgia option matches each idea.

• Structured Family Caregiving

  A relative who lives with the member gives care, with coaching and oversight from an SFC provider

• Consumer-directed support

  The member hires and supervises their own worker; a payroll provider handles taxes

• Personal Support Services

  An approved agency sends aides for bathing, meals, light housework and errands

• Adult day health

  Daytime care in a center, with nursing, therapy, activities and meals

Structured Family Caregiving: the closest match for a live-in relative

SFC is part of EDWP. The DCH fact sheet describes it as support, education and oversight for members whose family caregiver lives in the home. The relative gives the daily care. A health coach from the SFC provider supports them. Learn more in our guide to how Structured Family Caregiving works in Georgia.

SFC has its own rules on who can be paid. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities explains that legally responsible people, such as spouses and legal guardians, are not eligible to be paid SFC caregivers. See whether a spouse can be paid as a caregiver in Georgia.

Consumer-directed support: the closest match for hiring your own worker

This option is most like CDPAP. The DCH fact sheet says the member hires and supervises their own worker or workers. The member must choose a Financial Management Services provider. That provider handles payroll and tax rules.

The same Georgia Council article says personal support services under CCSP and SOURCE can pay some family members by the hour. It lists spouses, parents of minor children, legal guardians and conservators as excluded. Rules can change, so confirm the details with your care coordinator.

What about intellectual and developmental disabilities?

Georgia's NOW and COMP waivers serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They offer participant direction, where the participant or a representative is the employer. A participant direction handbook published with Georgia DBHDD funding explains that a fiscal agent runs payroll and taxes. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities oversees these waivers. A1-GA Healthcare Agency does not provide NOW or COMP services.

Moving a parent to Georgia from New York or California: what changes?

Medicaid is run by each state. Federal rules say a state must cover eligible residents of that state. An adult usually becomes a Georgia resident by living here and planning to stay. Georgia cannot make someone wait a set amount of time before they count as a resident.

In practice, this means your loved one's CDPAP or IHSS services stop when they leave that state. They need Georgia Medicaid and a Georgia EDWP assessment before Georgia services can start. Plan ahead so there is no gap in care.

How do you apply for in-home care in Georgia?

1. 1

   Call the Area Agency on Aging

   Dial 866-552-4464, Georgia's statewide aging line. Staff will screen your loved one by phone.

2. 2

   Complete the assessment

   If the screening fits, a care coordinator assesses needs and level of care.

3. 3

   Apply for Medicaid if needed

   If your loved one does not have Medicaid yet, apply at your county DFCS office.

4. 4

   Choose a service option

   Ask about SFC, consumer-directed support, or agency personal support.

5. 5

   Pick an approved provider

   Approved Medicaid providers deliver the services and bill DCH directly.

If your loved one already has full Medicaid, they may also be able to go through a SOURCE site. Georgia's SOURCE application page explains how to find the provider for your county.

How A1-GA Healthcare Agency helps

A1-GA Healthcare Agency is a Georgia DCH-approved Medicaid home care provider in Norcross. We have provided in-home care since 2008 and have staffed caregivers since 2004. We offer two services across metro Atlanta: Structured Family Caregiving and EDWP in-home services.

If your family is used to CDPAP or IHSS, we can explain how Georgia's options compare and what to ask the Area Agency on Aging. For SFC families, caregivers are paid by direct deposit every two weeks; the amount is set by the loved one's assessed level of care. Call 678-446-1832, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or check your eligibility online.