How to apply for IHSS in California

What is IHSS?

IHSS provides in-home help to eligible people who are aged, blind or disabled, as an alternative to care outside the home, so they can remain safely in their own homes.¹

Who can get IHSS?

The state lists four basic requirements:

• The person is a California resident.¹
• The person has a Medi-Cal eligibility determination.¹
• The person lives at home, or in a place of their own choosing.¹ Los Angeles County notes that a hospital, a long-term care facility or a licensed community care facility is not considered "own home."⁵ If the person lives in assisted living or a board and care home, ask the county before applying.
• A completed Health Care Certification form is submitted.¹

What IHSS can help with

The state's overview lists help such as:³

• Personal care, like dressing, bathing, feeding and toileting.
• Paramedical services, like help with injections, wound care, and colostomy and catheter care, under the direction of a licensed medical professional.
• House cleaning, cooking, shopping and laundry.
• Going with the person to and from medical appointments.

A county social worker assesses which of these the person needs and how many hours the county will authorize for each.²

Step 1: Apply for Medi-Cal too, if the person doesn't have it

IHSS requires a Medi-Cal eligibility determination,¹ so you must apply for Medi-Cal if the person is not already receiving it.⁵ There are four ways to apply for Medi-Cal: online, through BenefitsCal or Covered California; by phone to the county office; in person at a county office; or by mail. Paper applications come in many languages, including Armenian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.⁶

Step 2: Send the IHSS application (SOC 295) to your county

You apply by completing the application and submitting it to your county IHSS office. The application form is the SOC 295.¹ The state keeps a list of county IHSS websites: County IHSS Offices.⁴

In Los Angeles County, you can apply by phone at (888) 944-4477 or (213) 744-4477.⁵

Step 3: The Health Care Certification form (SOC 873)

The county sends you a form for the person's doctor to complete, certifying the need for IHSS.³ This Health Care Certification, the SOC 873, must reach the county before any services are authorized,¹ so ask the doctor's office to return it promptly.

Step 4: The home visit

A county social worker interviews the person at home to decide eligibility and what help is needed.¹ It helps to have ready the names of the person's doctors, the current medication list from the care team, and a short, honest note of what a typical day looks like.

Step 5: The decision

The county notifies you whether IHSS has been approved or denied.¹

Choosing an IHSS provider

• If IHSS is approved, the person hires their own individual provider to do the authorized services. Some counties also offer contracted providers or county homemakers.^{1, 2}
• A friend or relative may serve as the care provider, but every provider must finish the necessary provider enrollment steps before starting work.³ If the provider would be the person's spouse, or the parent of a child receiving IHSS, ask the county about the rules first.
• The State issues the provider's paychecks, and wage rates vary by county.¹

If you disagree with the decision

You have 90 days to request a state hearing if you disagree with an action the county took; check the date on the county's notice. You can ask online, by mail, or by calling the State Hearings Division at (800) 743-8525.⁷

Want help with the steps?

We can talk the steps through with you by phone, in English, Armenian or Russian, at no cost. The county makes every decision. For more on help at home, respite and caregiver support, see the Family Caregiver Guide.