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Pennsylvania program guide

Medicaid home care in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Medicaid pays for hands-on help at home (bathing, dressing, meals, and the other tasks of daily living) for people who qualify. For most adults, these services run through Community HealthChoices (CHC), the state's managed-care program for people who need long-term services and supports.

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Know where to begin

  1. 01

    Understand the program

    What it covers and who may qualify.

  2. 02

    Follow the steps

    From the first application to a care plan.

  3. 03

    Talk to our team

    Discuss care and availability in your area.

What it covers

  • Help with daily activities: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, moving around the home, and eating.
  • Help around the house that supports your care: light housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation.
  • Reminders and supervision, such as medication reminders (not medical care itself).
  • The exact services and hours come from your individual service plan, built with your CHC service coordinator.

Who qualifies

  • You live in Pennsylvania and are eligible for Medicaid (the state applies income and asset limits).
  • The state's assessment finds you need help with daily activities at a level that qualifies for long-term services and supports.
  • Most adults 21+ receive these services through a Community HealthChoices managed-care plan; children and some adults go through other Medicaid programs.
  • Only the state and its assessors decide eligibility — no agency, including ours, can promise you'll qualify.

The steps

  1. Apply for Medicaid: online through the state's COMPASS portal, or at your County Assistance Office.
  2. Complete the state's functional eligibility assessment, which looks at what help you need day to day.
  3. Once approved, choose a Community HealthChoices plan (or one is assigned).
  4. Work with your plan's service coordinator to build a service plan: what help, how many hours.
  5. Choose a home care agency and start care. You can change agencies without restarting eligibility.

Where Roost fits

  • Roost does not provide the hands-on personal care this program pays for, and it does not bill Medicaid. Program care comes from a provider your Community HealthChoices plan works with.
  • Roost is a private-pay platform for companionship: company, conversation, a walk, a meal made together. A family finds a caregiver near the person and agrees the visits and the rate with them directly.
  • Companionship can sit alongside program care. Your service coordinator decides what the program covers, and nothing on Roost changes that.

Roost is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the state of Pennsylvania or any state agency. This page is educational only. It is not legal, financial, or medical advice. Program rules change; final eligibility and coverage decisions rest with the state agency.

Ready to talk it through?

You don’t need to understand every detail before asking for help. Our team can talk it through with you.

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Medicaid personal care in Pennsylvania — a plain-language guide · Roost