Here is an at-a-glance comparison of the main differences between In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) obtained through the HCBA waiver. (For a printable version, view this chart.)
| In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) | Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Services | Funds in-home care (personal care, paramedical services, and protective supervision) | Funds additional in-home care hours using guidelines similar but not identical to IHSS |
| Program requirements | Must have Medi-Cal, either based on income or through any waiver | Must have Medi-Cal specifically through the HCBA waiver; must already be an IHSS recipient; must have a doctor's order (Plan of Treatment) specifying that they require WPCS in order to remain safely in their own home |
| Eligibility | Child’s care needs must exceed that of a typically developing child of the same age because of their disability | Child meets the criteria for admission to a skilled nursing facility and is already utilizing IHSS to the maximum extent possible |
| How to apply | Contact local IHSS office | Contact local HCBA Waiver Agency |
| How hours are allocated | IHSS case worker assesses child’s needs compared to a typically developing child to assign hours | HCBA Waiver Agency case worker and nurse team assesses child’s needs and medical necessity to assign hours |
| Maximum hours for recipient | 283 hours per month | Direct care hours from all sources (e.g. IHSS, WPCS, Regional Center respite, and EPSDT home health nursing hours) not to exceed 24 hours per day or 720 hours per month; child must use all available IHSS hours before they can receive WPCS hours, but they do not need to be receiving max IHSS hours (283) |
| Provider options | Parents can be paid to serve as their child’s provider, or they can hire a third-party provider | Parents can be paid to serve as their child’s provider only if they are unable to work full-time because of their child’s care needs, there is no other legally responsible provider available, and the child is at risk of being institutionalized otherwise; parents who do not meet the criteria must hire a third-party provider |
| Provider qualifications | Must be 18 years old; must be eligible to work in the United States | Provider must meet qualifications to be an IHSS provider |
| Provider pay rate | Hourly rate varies by county; provider will fill out timesheet on the IHSS portal | Same as IHSS hourly rate; provider will fill out timesheet on the IHSS portal |
| Maximum hours for provider | 70:45 hours per week for one recipient, or 66 for two recipients; no defined limit on hours per day | Same weekly limits as IHSS; for providers of both IHSS and WPCS, maximum of 12 hours per day of IHSS and WPCS combined (weekly max still applies); in some limited circumstances, the provider may claim 12 hours per day up to 360 hours per month, but exceptions must be approved by the Waiver Agency |
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