Program Comparison

Does Michigan Have CDPAP? Here's What's Actually Available

If you've been searching for "CDPAP Michigan," here's the short answer: CDPAP (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program) is a New York State Medicaid program — it doesn't exist under that name in Michigan. But if what you're actually looking for is a way to get paid by Medicaid to care for a family member, Michigan has an equivalent, and it works in a similar way.

By Kinwell · 2 min read · Last updated: July 22, 2026

What is CDPAP?

CDPAP is a New York State Medicaid program that lets Medicaid recipients who need home care direct their own care, including hiring a family member as their paid caregiver, instead of going through a traditional home care agency.

What's the Michigan equivalent?

Michigan's version is the Home Help program, run through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). It allows Medicaid recipients who need physical help with daily activities to choose their own caregiver — including a family member, friend, or neighbor — and have that person paid for the care they're already providing. Per MDHHS, a spouse or a parent caring for their own minor child cannot be the paid caregiver.¹

The core idea is the same as CDPAP: the person receiving care isn't limited to an agency-assigned aide. The specific eligibility rules, application steps, and pay structure differ from New York's program, but a family caregiver getting paid through Medicaid is very much available in Michigan. Read the full Home Help Program guide →

Why the confusion?

CDPAP gets a lot of national media coverage, so it's become something of a catch-all term people search even outside New York. If you're in Michigan and searching “CDPAP,” you're not wrong to be looking — you're just one program name off.

How do I find out if I qualify in Michigan?

The person receiving care generally needs to be at least 18, have Michigan Medicaid, and need physical help with at least one daily activity (bathing, dressing, mobility, eating, etc.). The caregiver generally needs to be at least 18 and a relative, friend, or neighbor — not a spouse or the parent of a minor child being cared for. Check your eligibility →

References

Cited in this article

1
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). ASM 135 — Home Help Individual Provider Requirements. mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://mdhhs-pres-prod.michigan.gov/olmweb/ex/AS/Public/ASM/135.pdf