Understanding Medicaid Waivers for Home Care in Pennsylvania

If you or a loved one need help with daily living but want to stay at home instead of moving into a nursing facility, Pennsylvania's Medicaid waiver program may cover the cost of care. At Humble Hands Home Care, we help families navigate this process from start to finish — and this guide explains the essentials so you can take the next step with confidence.

What Is the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver?

The Community HealthChoices waiver allows individuals who require long-term care to receive services while remaining in their own home rather than moving into an institution. It is managed by Pennsylvania's Office of Long-Term Living and is designed for adults with physical disabilities and for seniors who need long-term services and supports but prefer to age in place.

In other words, the CHC waiver is what makes it possible to receive nursing-facility-level care without ever leaving home. For families across the Greater Philadelphia area, that can mean the difference between a loved one staying in the familiar comfort of their own house and having to relocate to a facility.

Who Qualifies for the CHC Waiver in Pennsylvania?

To be eligible, you generally need to meet both functional and financial requirements.

Functional eligibility

Functional eligibility looks at your ability to perform activities of daily living — the everyday tasks that keep a person safe and independent at home. These typically include:

• Bathing and personal hygiene
• Dressing
• Eating and meal preparation
• Mobility and transferring (such as moving from a bed to a chair)
• Managing medications
• Toileting

A care assessor reviews how much help you need with these tasks to determine whether you meet the nursing-facility level of care threshold.

Financial eligibility

Financial eligibility reviews your income and resources against program limits. Resources that are considered include:

• Bank accounts
• Property (other than your primary residence)
• Retirement accounts
• Other countable assets

Income limits and asset limits are updated regularly and depend on your household situation, so it is always best to confirm the current figures with a knowledgeable advisor.

Age and residency

You must be age 21 or older, a resident of Pennsylvania, and living in a county where Community HealthChoices operates — which includes Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester counties.

Every family's situation is different, and eligibility can feel confusing to navigate alone — that is exactly where we come in.

What Does the Medicaid Waiver Cover?

Depending on your specific needs and care plan, CHC waiver services can include:

• Personal care assistance — hands-on help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
• Help with activities of daily living — meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry
• Other in-home supports designed to keep you safe and independent at home

The goal of every service under the waiver is the same: to help you or your loved one live safely and with dignity at home for as long as possible.

How Humble Hands Home Care Can Help

Applying for a Medicaid waiver can be overwhelming — the paperwork, the eligibility review, the waiting. Our team has experience guiding families through this exact process. We will:

• Help you understand what documentation you need
• Connect you with the right county resources and the Managed Care Organization serving your area
• Walk beside you through enrollment so you are not navigating this alone

Because we serve the same five-county region covered by Community HealthChoices, we understand the local systems, forms, and timelines — and we can often shorten the distance between "where do I start?" and "my care has started."

Serving Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester Counties

If you think you or a loved one may qualify for Medicaid-funded home care, we are ready to help. Call us today at (484) 370-9514 or fill out our care inquiry form for a free consultation. No doctor's order is required to begin the conversation — and the sooner we start, the sooner your family has clarity and a plan.