Switching From Self-Directed Care to Kinwell

What stays the same

• Your loved one's Medicaid coverage doesn't change
• You keep providing the same care, the same hours, to the same person
• Your loved one's existing approved care plan is the starting point — Kinwell confirms your current approved hours rather than requiring a brand-new application from scratch

What changes

• Employer of record: Kinwell hires you as a W-2 employee, instead of you enrolling directly with the state as an individual provider
• Pay frequency: weekly (same-day pay coming soon), instead of the typical self-directed monthly cycle
• Rate: Kinwell confirms your hourly rate upon approval — guaranteed higher than the state's $17.13 per hour self-directed rate, per MDHHS
• Paperwork and compliance: handled for you, instead of managing billing and MDHHS compliance yourself

See the full self-directed care comparison →

The 90-day rule

MDHHS states this exactly:¹

“An agency caregiver may not provide services to a Home Help client who they were assisting as an individual caregiver for 90-days after commencement of employment with the agency or for 90-days after termination of services as the client's individual caregiver, whichever comes later.”

In plain terms: once you join Kinwell, there's a 90-day wait before you can be paid to care for the same person you were already caring for individually — counted from whichever comes later, your Kinwell start date or your last day as their individual caregiver.

MDHHS's own example:

• Becky is her mother Mrs. Smith's Home Help individual caregiver.
• Becky joins a Home Help agency, starting May 1st.
• She can care for other agency clients right away, starting May 1st.
• She can't be paid to care for Mrs. Smith through the agency until July 30th — 90 days after her agency start date.
• The 90-day wait is specific to Becky — a different family member or friend could become Mrs. Smith's paid agency caregiver right away, if one is available.

This rule applies to switching from self-directed care to an agency for the same care recipient; it doesn't apply if you're switching from one agency to another. Switching from another agency instead? →

How the switch works

1. Check eligibility and confirm your loved one's current approved care plan
2. Complete Kinwell's W-2 hiring paperwork
3. Kinwell coordinates the transition with MDHHS, accounting for the 90-day rule above
4. Start receiving weekly pay from Kinwell once the window closes (same-day pay coming soon)

Frequently asked

Do I need to reapply for Medicaid or restart the approval process? No — if your loved one already has an approved Michigan Medicaid care plan, Kinwell works with that existing approval instead of starting over. You'll still need to complete Kinwell's own hiring paperwork.

Is there a waiting period before Kinwell can pay me? Yes — per MDHHS (ASM 136), there's a 90-day wait before you can be paid through an agency to care for someone you were already caring for as their individual caregiver. It's counted from whichever comes later: your agency start date, or your last day in that individual-caregiver role. The wait applies to you specifically, so a different family member or friend could step in as their paid caregiver right away.

Related reading

• Medicaid Family Caregiver Pay in Michigan: The Complete Guide
• Self-Directed Care in Michigan: What It Pays
• Switching From Another Home Care Agency to Kinwell
• Full FAQ