Washington · state plan
Medicaid Personal Care (MPC) in Washington
Medicaid Personal Care is Washington's Apple Health program for people who need regular help with daily tasks but do not need a nursing-home level of care. DSHS sets the hours with a CARE assessment, and a family member can be paid as the Individual Provider through CDWA.
Also called: MPC · Medicaid Personal Care Washington · MPC program · state plan personal care
Who do you care for?
Quick facts
- Pay
- $22.52–$27.28/hr
- Adult children & other relatives
- Yes
- Spouse
- Not right now
- Parent of a minor child
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- none
Who qualifies for MPC
- Certified for noninstitutional Categorically Needy Apple Health, or eligible for the Apple Health Alternative Benefit Plan (most people on SSI qualify this way).
- Does NOT need hospital, nursing facility, ICF/IID or similar institutional level of care — people who do usually go to CFC instead.
- Has an unmet or partly met need for help with at least three activities of daily living (such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transfers, walking or medication management), or a higher-level need with at least one, per WAC 388-106-0210.
- Adults are served through HCS or an Area Agency on Aging; children and people with developmental disabilities can be served through DDA.
Who can be paid as the caregiver
- Adult children & other relatives Yes
- adult children and other relatives can be paid as Individual Providers employed through CDWA.
- Spouse Not right now
- DSHS states spouses cannot be paid to care for each other under Apple Health long-term services.
- Parent of a minor child Not right now
- a natural, step or adoptive parent cannot be the paid provider for a child 17 or younger receiving Medicaid Personal Care.
- Living together
- the caregiver may live with the client or elsewhere.
Who employs the caregiver: Either. The client can choose an Individual Provider employed by CDWA, or use a licensed home care agency.
Spouse rules differ by program — see spouse pay in Washington.
How much MPC pays
$22.52–$27.28/hr. Same CDWA/SEIU 775 wage scale as all Individual Providers: $22.52–$26.09/hr from July 1, 2025 and $23.54–$27.28/hr from July 1, 2026, stepped by career hours, plus benefits. Paid by CDWA as taxable wages.
Hours and budget: A case manager completes a CARE assessment. The resulting classification group sets the number of monthly personal care hours. Hours can be split between Individual Providers, and each Individual Provider has a weekly work limit (usually 40 hours, never more than 65).
Compare with other Washington programs on the Washington caregiver pay page, or across states in pay rates by state.
Is there a waitlist?
MPC is a Medicaid State Plan benefit; no waitlist is published for people who meet the rules.
How to apply for MPC
- Call the regional HCS intake office (or DDA if the person has a developmental disability) and ask for a personal care assessment.
- A case manager does a CARE assessment at home and DSHS confirms the Apple Health coverage group.
- If MPC is approved, the family member applies to CDWA to become an Individual Provider, passes the background check and starts training.
- The caregiver logs authorized hours with CDWA and completes training within 120 days of hire.
- HCS Region 1 intake (Spokane / Eastern WA) · 800-459-0421 · official site
- HCS Region 2 intake (Seattle / Northwest WA) · 800-346-9257 · official site
- HCS Region 3 intake (Tacoma / Southwest WA) · 800-422-5129 · official site
- Consumer Direct Care Network Washington (CDWA) · 866-214-9899 · official site
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MPC questions
What is the difference between MPC and CFC?
Both pay for in-home personal care. CFC is for people who need a nursing-home level of care. MPC is for people who need help with daily tasks but do not meet that level. The CARE assessment decides which one fits.
Can I be paid to care for my adult son or daughter under MPC?
Yes, once your child is 18 or older you can be hired as their Individual Provider through CDWA. Parents cannot be paid for a child under 18.
Does someone need to be on SSI to get MPC?
Not always, but MPC requires noninstitutional Categorically Needy or Alternative Benefit Plan Apple Health, and many people in that group receive SSI.
How much does an MPC caregiver earn?
Individual Providers earn $22.52–$26.09 an hour from July 2025 and $23.54–$27.28 from July 2026 on the CDWA wage scale, depending on career hours.
Do I need training to be a paid MPC caregiver for a relative?
Yes. Most paid family caregivers need 35 hours of training, including a 5-hour orientation and safety course at hire, finished within 120 days. Exact hours depend on your relationship to the client.
Sources: app.leg.wa.gov · dshs.wa.gov · dshs.wa.gov · lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov · seiu775.org · Updated 2026-10-08. Program rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Washington caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Washington — pick yours for the local picture.
Across the line
States that border Washington
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.