Pennsylvania · self-direction option
Services My Way in Pennsylvania
Services My Way is the budget-authority model of participant direction inside Pennsylvania's Community HealthChoices. The participant gets an individual budget, sets each worker's wage within limits, and can buy approved goods and services. Relatives other than a spouse or guardian can be hired and paid through Tempus Unlimited.
Also called: SMW · Services My Way PA · budget authority CHC · Services My Way Tempus
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $13–$19/hr
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- possible
Who qualifies for Services My Way
- Enrolled in Community HealthChoices home and community-based services (age 21+, nursing-facility level of care).
- Chooses participant direction with budget authority through their CHC managed care organization.
- Can serve as the employer, or names a representative / Common Law Employer to do so.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- adult children and other relatives can be hired as direct care workers.
- Spouse Not right now
- spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid workers.
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- the program serves adults 21 and older.
- Living together
- the worker may live with the participant or not.
Who employs the caregiver: Self-directed: the participant (or representative) is the employer; Tempus Unlimited is the fiscal intermediary.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Pennsylvania.
How much Services My Way pays
$13–$19/hr. Under budget authority the participant sets wages within the individual budget and the county/MCO maximum rates published by Tempus (2026 rate sheets). Reported wages run roughly $13–$19/hr; no single statewide figure is published.
Hours and budget: The service coordinator builds an individual budget from the assessed personal assistance hours; the participant decides how to spend it within program rules (the Services My Way manual).
Compare with other Pennsylvania programs on the Pennsylvania caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
Tied to CHC enrollment; no separate waitlist is published.
How to apply for Services My Way
- Enroll in Community HealthChoices through the Independent Enrollment Broker (1-877-550-4227).
- Ask your CHC service coordinator for participant direction with Services My Way (budget authority).
- Work with your coordinator to build the spending plan and enroll yourself and your workers with Tempus.
- PA Independent Enrollment Broker · 1-877-550-4227 · official site
- CHC Participant Hotline (OLTL) · 1-833-735-4416 · official site
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Services My Way questions
What is the difference between Services My Way and regular participant direction?
Services My Way adds budget authority. You get an individual budget and decide wages and some purchases, instead of only choosing and supervising your worker.
Can I pay my son or daughter with Services My Way?
Yes. Relatives other than a spouse or legal guardian can be hired, as long as they finish Tempus enrollment and required checks.
Can I set my caregiver's pay?
Yes, within your budget and the maximum rate for your county and managed care plan.
Who handles taxes and paychecks?
Tempus Unlimited, the CHC financial management services vendor, runs payroll and files employer taxes.
Can I switch back to an agency?
Yes. Talk to your service coordinator; you can move between participant direction and agency services.
Sources: pa.tempusunlimited.org · pa.tempusunlimited.org · phlp.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Pennsylvania caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Pennsylvania — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Pennsylvania
Each state writes its own rules, and they differ more than people expect — a spouse who can be paid on one side of the line often cannot be on the other.