The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued a letter reiterating IHSS requirements for timely processing of applications and reassessments, and for following Hourly Task Guidelines.

Individuals have the right to apply for IHSS services.  When an individual or their authorized representative indicates that they want to apply, the county must take their application immediately.  Counties must accept applications by telephone, fax or in person.  Counties that have the capability must accept applications online, by email or through other electronic means.

The date the applicant requests services is the “protected date of eligibility” even if the client has not already applied for Medi-Cal.

The applicant must submit the SOC 873 Health Certification form, or other acceptable documentation, within 45 days of the date the county requests it.  Benefits can be issued prior to the applicant submitting a SOC 873 when the applicant is at imminent risk of out-of-home placement, or the applicant is being discharged from a hospital or nursing home and services are needed to safely return to the community.  Applicants who receive benefits pending submitting the SOC 873 can get an additional 45 days to submit the SOC 873 for good cause.  In addition, applicants who have not yet applied for Medi-Cal can have 90 days to submit the SOC 873 because there is 45 days to determine Medi-Cal eligibility.

Reassessments must be done every 12 months.  CDSS requires counties to complete reassessments timely in 80 percent of cases.  Counties must complete reassessments time in 100 percent of Community First Choice Options cases, CDSS will find noncompliance if the county complete assessments timely in 90 percent of Community First Choice Options cases.  Counties will be required to submit a Quality Improvement Action Plan if they do not meet these requirements.

Counties must use the Hourly Task Guidelines for initial assessments or reassessments.  These guidelines establish a range of time for each IHSS service.  The county must document the need to services that fall outside the Hourly Task Guidelines.  Beginning in fiscal year 2023-24, CDSS will require a Quality Improvement Action Plan for counties that do not correctly apply and document applying Hourly Task Guidelines.  (ACL 22-57, July 22, 2022.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding changes to sponsor deeming for In Home Supportive Services – Residual (IHSS-R) recipients.  IHSS applicants who receive state-only full scope Medi-Cal are assessed under the IHSS-R program.  People who are denied Medi-Cal for a reason other than failure to comply with Medi-Cal requirements  or failure to complete the Medi-Cal eligibility process also can be eligible for IHSS-R.  Counties must process these IHSS-R application regardless of the applicant’s immigration status.  Sponsor deeming is counting the income of a sponsor of an immigrant as the immigrant’s income.

IHSS-R applicants who receive state-only funded full scope Medi-Cal are no longer subject to sponsor deeming for purposes of IHSS-R eligibility.

IHSS-R applicants who are not eligibile for Medi-Cal are subject to sponsor deeming.  For IHSS-R applicants who are not eligibile for Medi-Cal, sponsor deeming is limited to three years after entry to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.  In addition, applicants whose blindness or disability began after they entered the United States are not subject to sponsor deeming.

All IHSS applicants must have or apply for a Social Security Number, or must have an Individual Taxpayer Identification number.  This is because the IHSS recipient is the provider’s employer for certain purposes.  When someone without a Social Security Number applies for IHSS, the county must accept their application and assist with applying for an Individual Taxpayer Identification number.   (ACL 22-44, June 1, 2022.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued information to counties about Extension of In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) medical accompaniment for COVID vaccines and reinstatement of COVID emergency back-up providers.

IHSS recipients who have hours for medical accompaniment can use them to get COVID-19 vaccines.  IHSS recipients who do not have medical accompaniment hours can get a one-time provider payment for up to two hours for accompaniment to get a COVID-19 vaccine.  This can be applied retroactively to January 1, 2022 and is available until June 30, 2022.  To get this payment, providers must complete and submit the COVID-19 Medical Accompaniment Claim Form and have the recipient sign the form.  This medical accompaniment time cannot increase IHSS hours above the statutory maximum.

The emergency back-up provider pay rate differential is reinstated retroactive to February 1, 2022 and will be available through June 30, 2022.  (ACL 22-25, March 18, 2022.)

The California Department of Social Services has issued instructions reinstating supplemental paid sick leave for In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers.  IHSS providers who are impacted by COVID-19 now have up to 40 hours of supplemental sick leave for circumstances related to COVID-19.  This includes two hours of leave per dose of vaccine, and caring for a child whose school or child care is closed because of COVID-19.  IHSS providers can get an additional 40 hours of sick leave if the provider or a family member for whom they are providing care has a positive COVID-19 test.

COVID-19 sick leave will not impact the 16 hours of sick leave IHSS providers currently receive.

If the provider works full time, they will get 40 hours of sick leave.  If the provider works less than full time, the provider will get the total number of hours per week that they are scheduled to work as sick leave.

The COVID-19 supplemental sick leave is available retroactive to January 1, 2022 until September 30, 2022.  (ACL 22-18, March 9, 2022.)

Beginning March 28th, 2022, new enhancements were made to the Electronic Services Portal (ESP) for recipients and providers in In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and Wavier Personal Care services (WPCS) to allow recipients and providers to choose text messages as a notification preference. This allows users to get messages by text message, email or both.  If there is no preference, the recipient/provider will continue to receive notifications by email.

These notifications will come from the same IHSS program that receives payroll processing messages via email from a secure IHSS text message portal.

Text messages notifications will be sent in the recipient and provider’s preferred written languages about the following information:

Providers will get text message notifications about:

•     Time Sheet Approval
•     Timesheet Rejection
•     Payment
•     No Recipient Action on Submitted Timesheet
•     No Payment for Travel Claim
•     Preference Change of Notification Delivery Methods

 Recipients will get text message notifications about:

•     Timesheet for review
•     Preference Change of Notification Delivery Methods

Recipients and providers can go to the ESP website at www.etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov/login and log into the Provider Home screen to sign up for this service. Once there, locate your name on the drop-down menu and select Account Information. From Account Information, select ‘My Preferences’ link. Under My Preferences, select the option under Notification Preference. This allows users to choose how they want their notifications to be delivered. If no preferences are selected, notifications will continue to be sent via email. Under Notification Preference, listed under ‘Text Messages.’ If the phone number is not on file, users must add or edit their information and click Verify before they start receiving text messages. A 6-digit code will be sent to that cell phone number, and a pop-up box will ask the reliever to enter the verification code. (ACIN I-17-22, March 7, 2022.)