Navigating with Compassion
Compass Family Care helps Indiana Medicaid Waiver clients and caregivers navigate home-based support with clear expectations, practical guidance, and reliable follow-through.
The biggest differences are whether the caregiver lives with the client and how the service is paid.
| Detail | Structured Family Caregiving | Attendant Care | Home and Community Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Daily care and support from a caregiver who lives with the client in a private home. | Hands-on, non-medical personal care. | Non-medical help with household tasks. |
| Included in service | Personal care and household support based on the plan of care, with caregiver coaching and nurse oversight from the agency. | Bathing, dressing, mobility, medication reminders, and safety, plus related household help and rides to community activities. | Light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, and errands. |
| Skilled care included? | No | No | No |
| Must the caregiver live with the client? | Yes | No | No |
| How pay is set | Per day, based on the client's assessed level | By the hour, the same for every client | By the hour, the same for every client |
| What the state pays the agency | $77.54 per day, Level 1 $99.71 per day, Level 2 $133.44 per day, Level 3 | $34.36 per hour | $31.72 per hour |
| Required minimum passthrough | 60% of the daily rate | 70% of the hourly rate | No current minimum |
Have your needs changed? Are you interested in switching your services?
You may be able to switch between Structured Family Caregiving and Attendant Care and/or Home and Community Assistance. If you make any changes, you will need to speak with your waiver case manager. They will help decide what fits and update the plan of care.
SFC rates are from IHCP Bulletin BT2025105, effective July 1, 2025. Attendant Care (S5125) and HCA (S5130) rates are agency rates from the IHCP Professional Fee Schedule. Rates change over time, so check the current bulletin and fee schedule.
SFC is more transparent than most people realize. Two things decide what you take home as a caregiver: the level of the person you care for, and the passthrough percentage.
Indiana pays SFC at three levels, from 1 to 3. The more help the client needs each day, the higher the level.
The level is not set by the caregiver or by Compass Family Care. The waiver case manager or care coordinator sets it through an assessment. They work separately from whichever agency provides the care.
The assessment happens at least once a year. If the person you care for needs more help than last time, the level and the daily rate can go up. A change in level is usually worth more than any difference in passthrough between agencies. So it is worth asking what level they are approved for, and when it was last checked.
Part of the daily rate goes to you as a stipend. This is called the passthrough, and the percentage is worked out between you and Compass Family Care.
Indiana’s required minimum passthrough percentage for SFC is 60% of the daily rate. But 60% does not mean the same dollar amount at every agency. Agencies may count caregiver coaching, nurse visits, training, travel, and respite care inside that 60%.
Two agencies can both meet the 60% rule and still pay you differently, so it is worth asking what an agency’s 60% includes.
Pick the level of the person you care for, then slide to set the passthrough percentage. The daily, weekly, every-two-weeks, and monthly amounts update as you go.
The shaded area, 65% to 75%, is the Compass Family Care starting range. Indiana's required minimum passthrough percentage for SFC is 60%.
Enter the amount you would take home each day. The weekly, biweekly, and monthly amounts are figured from it.
Weekly figures assume seven days. Monthly figures use a 4.35 week average.
Pay is a conversation, not a fixed number. The calculator shows a starting point. Your actual passthrough is worked out with you, based on the client’s level of service and the needs of the caregiver and the family. It is the same person-centered, caregiver-centered, family-focused approach we bring to care.
If you are moving from another agency or want to compare pay, call 574-334-7308 or send us a message.
These amounts are estimates to help you plan. They are not a job offer, a rate quote, or a promise of pay. Actual pay depends on the level in the plan of care, the days of care you provide and document, and program rules.
Tap a question to see the answer. These questions follow the State of Indiana’s Attendant Care and Structured Family Caregiving overview (PDF).
It is an Indiana Medicaid Waiver service. The client lives with a primary caregiver who gives daily care and support, based on the client’s needs and plan of care.
Support with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, mobility, toileting, eating and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) like meal preparation and housekeeping. It also includes transportation to medical appointments and community activities, medication oversight, home visits and coaching support for the principal caregiver, annual training based on assessed needs, a backup plan for when the primary caregiver can’t provide care, and up to 15 days of respite per year.
No. The caregiver can be a relative, a trusted friend, or another person the client considers family. A spouse or the parent of a minor child can also serve as an SFC caregiver.
Yes. That’s the one requirement that doesn’t bend. You and the client share a home.
Your waiver case manager completes a structured family care needs assessment and assigns a level — 1, 2, or 3 — during service planning. That level sets the daily rate and is reassessed at least once a year, or sooner if needs change.
Per diem, a daily rate based on the client’s assessed level (1, 2, or 3), not the number of hours worked.
Indiana pays Compass Family Care a per diem rate based on the client’s level: $77.54 (Level 1), $99.71 (Level 2), or $133.44 (Level 3). A percentage of that reaches you as a stipend. Indiana requires a minimum of 60% passthrough. The rest covers a caregiver coach and nurse supervision for the caregiver, administrative and overhead costs, staff transportation to the caregiver, and the respite coverage built into the rate. We’re glad to walk through what that breakdown looks like for your situation. Call 574-334-7308 or send us a message.
Hands-on, non-medical personal care, such as bathing, dressing, mobility, medication reminders, and safety. It can also include related household help and transportation.
No. There’s no live-in requirement for Attendant Care.
Hourly. The rate is the same regardless of how much help the client needs that day.
Attendant Care pays hourly. Indiana requires a minimum of 70% passthrough of the rate to reach you.
The remaining share covers mileage, administrative and overhead expenses, and training and supervision. Those costs can vary by agency, so it’s worth asking any agency what their 70% actually includes.
Help with household tasks, such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, and errands. It does not include hands-on personal care. HCA is available when the client is unable to meet these needs on their own, or when a family caregiver isn’t able to.
No. There’s no live-in requirement for Home and Community Assistance.
Hourly, the same way Attendant Care is structured. The rate doesn’t change based on need.
Home and Community Assistance pays hourly. Unlike SFC and Attendant Care, there’s no state-mandated minimum passthrough for HCA.
Not currently. HCA doesn’t have one the way SFC and Attendant Care do.
For Attendant Care and Home and Community Assistance services, Compass Family Care sets competitive hourly pay. Call 574-334-7308 or send us a message to talk about what that looks like for you.
Yes. Talk with your case manager about changing services. They will help decide which service fits and update the plan of care.
Attendant Care and Home and Community Assistance are often authorized together, since they can address different parts of the same plan of care. Talk with your case manager about what fits your situation. Compass Family Care offers all three services, so if your needs change, you don’t have to change agencies.
No. Eligibility is determined through the waiver process, by the case manager or service coordinator, not by Compass Family Care.
No. None of the three services cover nursing or other skilled medical care. Some clients may separately qualify for Medicaid’s State Plan Home Health benefit.
No. Indiana sets the overall rate and the minimum passthrough percentage, but each provider agency decides its own wages and benefits within that. That’s part of why pay can look different from one agency to the next. Compass Family Care is happy to walk through exactly what our numbers mean for you.
Attendant Care pays the same hourly rate no matter how much help someone needs. SFC is different, the daily rate changes based on the client’s assessed level, so pay reflects the actual amount of care involved.
It depends on the service. Attendant Care and HCA caregivers are W-2 employees of Compass Family Care, so taxes are withheld from their pay. SFC caregivers are independent contractors. The IRS treats certain Medicaid waiver payments as excludable from income under Notice 2014-7 — whether that applies to you depends on your situation, so talk with your tax preparer about your federal and Indiana taxes.
You do not need to have every answer before you reach out. We are happy to walk you through levels, pay, or which service fits.
