CDSS has issued instructions and forms to counties about certification from a licensed health care professional as a condition of eligibility for In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) benefits. Counties are required to provide applicants with the SOC 873 certification form and SOC 874 instructions. Applicants must submit the completed form within 45 days of receiving it from the county. Applicants can submit alternative documentation if it contains the same information as the SOC 873 form. The application will be denied if certification is not submitted within 45 days of the county providing the forms.
The health care certification is not the only factor in determining the need for IHSS services, but should be considered as one indicator of the need for services. However, the IHSS application must be denied if the first two questions on the SOC 873 form are not answered yes by the licensed health care professional. If the county believes the applicant should be eligible for IHSS despite not receiving yes answers to those questions, the form must be returned to the health care professional to be reconsidered.
Services cannot be authorized until the county has received certification from a licensed health care professional unless services are being requested on behalf of an applicant who is returning to the community from a hospital or nursing home and needs services to remain safely in the community or the applicant is at imminent risk of out-of-home placement. ACL 16-78 (September 28, 2016).