Michigan Medicaid
Self-Directed Care in Michigan: What It Pays and How It Works
If you're weighing whether to manage your own caregiving arrangement or have Kinwell handle it for you, here's what self-directed care actually means, what it pays, and what it requires of you.
By Kinwell · 2 min read · Last updated: July 29, 2026
What is self-directed care?
Under Michigan's Home Help Program, “self-directed” refers to choosing and directing your own caregiver — including a family member, friend, or neighbor — as an individual provider, rather than going through a home care agency. The person receiving care (or their authorized representative) selects who provides the care and directs how it's delivered.
How much does self-directed care pay?
Per MDHHS, effective January 1, 2026, the Home Help individual caregiver rate is $17.13 per hour — the same rate statewide, in every Michigan county.1 This is the baseline rate paid when a family member or friend is enrolled directly with the state as an individual provider.
Pay under this model is typically processed monthly.
Self-directed vs. Kinwell
Going self-directed means handling every part of the process yourself — enrollment, clinical review, billing, compliance, all of it — with no one to call when something stalls or gets rejected. Kinwell is an alternative: instead of enrolling directly with the state as an individual provider, Kinwell hires you as a W-2 employee and works within the same Home Help Program (and MI Coordinated Health) to get you paid.
| Kinwell | Self-Directed | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay rate | Guaranteed higher hourly rate, confirmed after approval | $17.13 per hour, per MDHHS |
| Pay frequency | Weekly (same-day pay coming soon) | Monthly |
| Enrollment & paperwork | A dedicated onboarding specialist manages it for you | You handle it yourself |
| Clinical review & assessment | Managed for you, start to finish | You coordinate it yourself |
| Billing | Handled for you | You submit your hours every pay period |
| Ongoing compliance | Handled for you | You're responsible for staying compliant with MDHHS |
| Employer model | W-2 employee; Kinwell handles payroll, taxes, workers' comp | None — you're an individual provider |
Rate and pay-frequency figures for self-directed care reflect MDHHS's published individual caregiver rate, effective January 1, 2026, and may change.
There's no cost to the family, ever. See how Kinwell pay works →
Frequently asked
How much does self-directed care pay in Michigan? Per MDHHS (effective January 1, 2026), the Home Help individual caregiver rate is $17.13 per hour statewide — the same rate in every Michigan county.
Is self-directed care the same as CDPAP? Not quite. CDPAP is New York's version of this model. Michigan's version is the Home Help Program, and self-directed care refers to choosing your own individual caregiver within it rather than using an agency. Read the CDPAP distinction →
Do I have to go self-directed to use Kinwell? No — Kinwell is an alternative to going fully self-directed. Kinwell hires you as a W-2 employee and handles payroll, taxes, and workers' comp, so you don't manage that part yourself.
Is self-directed pay through the state monthly or weekly? Self-directed pay through the state is typically processed monthly. Kinwell pays every caregiver weekly instead (same-day pay coming soon).
References
Cited in this article
- 1
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Numbered Letter L-25-75 — Home Help Individual Caregiver Rate Increase. michigan.gov. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Assistance-Programs/Medicaid-BPHASA/Numbered-Letter-L-25-75-Home-Help-final.pdf
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