Consumer-Directed Healthcare available in Georgia

"Consumer direction is a philosophy and orientation to the delivery of home health care services whereby informed consumers make choices about the services they receive. Consumer-directed gives you the opportunity to decide who you want helping you, and when you want them. No more having your daily schedule dictated to you.

The Department of Community Health and the Department of Human Resources ha received approval from Medicare and Medicaid to allow Medicaid recipients who are also on one of the Georgia waiver programs (ICWP, MRWP, or CCSP) to hire, train, and release their own workers instead of the traditional Agency model. You can even hire family members or friends.

Consumer-Directed Personal Support Services is an optional service delivery mechanism to be funded with service dollars. Consumer-directed services is available to all enrolled members who are willing and able to direct their care and perform essential employer functions, such as interviewing, hiring, supervising and firing your own personal care assistants.

Consumer-directed Personal Support Services include assistance for personal care both of a supportive and health-related nature, specific to the needs of the member. Services include providing assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, toileting, transferring, bowel/bladder control and in/out of home respite. To participate, a member will be required to select a fiscal agent to provide Financial Support Services, and get together with your case manager to document it in your Plan of Care.

Description of Program Amendment for MRWP

The Division of Mental Health Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, as a result of Georgia’s current service system, sets the stage for the addition of self-direction within the MRWP. Members enrolled in the MRWP Natural Support Enhancement Services (NSE) will have the option to elect to engage in consumer-directed services, acting as the employer of their support and/or respite providers. The member or family/representative must be willing and able to direct his/her NSE services and perform employer functions, such as interviewing, checking references, hiring, supervising and firing. The member or family/representative who elects to self-direct his/her NSE services may continue to receive other waiver services under the traditional service delivery system.

All you must do to self-direct is to inform your case manager and make the change in the Individual Service Plan, and select a fiscal agent to assist with the payroll taxes, social security, and unemployment insurance. ChoiceCare, LLC can provide Financial Support Services. To sign up with ChoiceCare, send us a message and we will get in touch with you immediately to start the process. For more information click About ChoiceCare.