Can I get IHSS hours for bringing my child to a medical appointment?

Some IHSS caseworkers will tell parents that they cannot get accompaniment to/from and wait time during medical and therapy appointments because parents are ordinarily expected to provide transportation and wait with their children. They may also say that children can get transportation through Medi-Cal, so IHSS will not provide time for it.

All County Letter 17-42 provides clarity on this point. Medical accompaniment for a minor can be authorized when:

1. The child has an extraordinary need that is due to a disability-related functional impairment and is beyond what would be expected of a child of the same age without the impairment.
2. The appointment is in a specialty care discipline (medical specialty, PT/OT/speech, etc.) and the appointment is related to the disability.
3. An authorized IHSS task is needed during travel to/from or at the appointment.

When all three conditions have been met, the service can be authorized, and both transportation and wait time should be included in the authorization. If your caseworker tells you that your child is not eligible for this service and you believe your child meets the eligibility criteria, you can provide the caseworker with a copy of All County Letter 17-42.