PURPOSE OF PROGRAM

A. Home Care Allowance (HCA) is a special cash payment made to a client, five (5) years of age or older for the purpose of securing in-home, personal care services. 1. HCA is a non-entitlement program; 2. Clients must be evaluated for Home and Community Based Services through Health First Colorado (Medicaid) before the HCA program can be considered. a. At application, if the client is functionally eligible for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) through Health First Colorado

(Medicaid), the client is not eligible for HCA. b. At reassessment on or after 05/01/2022, clients must be evaluated for Home and Community Based Services through Health First Colorado (Medicaid) and if functionally eligible, the clients are no longer eligible for the HCA program. Clients who are determined eligible for HCBS through Health First Colorado at reassessment may remain on HCA for up to three (3) months while they transition to HCBS if the delay in transition is not within the client’s control. c. HCA cannot be received while receiving Home and Community Based Services; and, 3. HCA is designed to serve clients with the lowest functional abilities and the greatest need for paid care. B. Effective January 1, 2026, all tiers of HCA are eligible for the payment floor standard. The payment floor standard for HCA is $977. C. The HCA grant is not taxable income to the client. The payment made to the care provider using the HCA grant received by the client is income to the care provider and subject to taxation under State and Federal laws. D. The HCA grant standards shall be adjusted to stay within available appropriations. Appeals shall not be granted for these adjustments. E. In addition to the regular monthly HCA grant payments, supplemental payments necessary to comply with the Federal pass-along requirements may be provided. These payments are supplements to regular grant payments and may be provided to eligible Adult Financial recipients in two (2) forms: 1. MOE Lump Sum Payments – These irregular lump sum payments cannot be anticipated, are not an entitlement, and do not affect grant standards. Appeals shall not be allowed for MOE payment adjustments. The Federal pass-along requirements are located in the Federal Regulations found at 20 C.F.R. § 416.2095-2099 (October 2025), which are hereby incorporated by reference. No later amendments or editions are incorporated. These regulations are available at no cost at https://www.ecfr.gov. These regulations are also available for public inspection and copying at the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Economic and Workforce Support, 1575 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado 80203, during regular business hours. 2. State Supplementary Payment – These monthly payments are included as supplements to regular grant payments when an OAP, AND-CS, or HCA client’s Adult Financial grant is less than the payment floor standard. The supplemental payment is in addition to the grant payment and brings the client’s monthly benefit amount equal to the payment floor standard defined for the program(s) in which the client is enrolled.