New IHSS medical accompaniment for COVID vaccines

In Home Supportive Services recipients age 16 to 64 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  IHSS recipients who need assistance from their provider to get a COVID-19 vaccine can use medical accompaniment hours for that purpose.  Recipients who need additional hours for this purpose, or who do not have medical accompaniment time but need it to get their vaccine can get a one-time payment for providers for up to four hours (two hours per vaccine appointment) per recipient.

CDSS is sending informing notices to IHSS recipients.  IHSS recipients aged 16 to 64 will get a letter which they can use to verify that they are IHSS recipients and the Vaccine Medical Accompaniment Claim Form.  IHSS recipients age 65 or older will only get a copy of the Claim Form.

No adjustment to existing service hours is needed, and hours for vaccine medical accompaniment will not be counted towards the provider’s weekly hours.  (ACL 21-31, March 15, 2021.)