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Oregon Independent Choices Program (ICP)
Overview of the Independent Choices Program
This program provides qualified Oregon Medicaid recipients with cash payments and the flexibility to manage their own care instead of receiving care services managed by the state. The Independent Choices program, now available statewide, was originally based on Medicaid’s Cash and Counseling model, also referred to as consumer direction or participant direction.
In this model of program, individuals are empowered to employ their own care providers. Friends, neighbors and family members including the adult children or spouses can be hired and paid to be caregivers. Participants receive cash payments from the state and are responsible for paying their “employees”. If participants are not capable of acting as an employer, they can retain a 3rd party organization or legal guardian to perform those services on their behalf. However, to avoid conflicts of interest, the legal guardian and the care provider cannot typically be the same individual.
One goal of the program is to prevent the premature or unnecessary institutionalization of disabled or elderly individuals. Therefore, to participate in this program, individuals must be willing to live at home or in the home of a family member and not in a skilled nursing or assisted living residence.
Qualifications for the Independent Choices Program
This is a Medicaid program and therefore individuals must qualify for Oregon Medicaid which has both health and financial requirements. Individuals must be age 65+ or be disabled. Those 65 and older must also have a demonstrated need to receive in-home care services.
Financially, applicants must qualify for Medicaid, which is a complicated process involving a review of a family’s income, assets and asset transfers as far back as 5 years. Rules change frequently and there are many exceptions, but typically monthly income cannot exceed $2,000 and “countable asset” limits, excluding the car and home, range from $2,000 to $8,000.
Not qualifying for Medicaid can be devastating to the comfort of an individual, their family’s finances and even their health. For these reasons, Medicaid planners exist to ensure families have the best chance of acceptance into the program. With care costing $1000’s / month, there is a strong incentive to use a Medicaid Planner. Find assistance applying for Medicaid.
Financially, applicants must qualify for Medicaid, which is a complicated process involving a review of a family’s income, assets and asset transfers as far back as 5 years. Rules change frequently and there are many exceptions, but typically monthly income cannot exceed $2,000 and “countable asset” limits, excluding the car and home, range from $2,000 to $8,000.
Not qualifying for Medicaid can be devastating to the comfort of an individual, their family’s finances and even their health. For these reasons, Medicaid planners exist to ensure families have the best chance of acceptance into the program. With care costing $1000’s / month, there is a strong incentive to use a Medicaid Planner. Find assistance applying for Medicaid.
Benefits / Services Covered by the Independent Choices Program
The intent of this program is to allow individuals to determine their own care needs and allocate funds as they best see fit. That said, their care spending is subject to approval by the administering agency. Typically the types of services and goods that are considered eligible fall into one of the following two categories.
1) Personal Care Services – assistance with the activities and instrumental activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, toileting, meal preparation, eating, housekeeping, shopping and laundry.
2) Assistive Technology – appliances and devices that increase the individual’s ability to live independently.
1) Personal Care Services – assistance with the activities and instrumental activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, toileting, meal preparation, eating, housekeeping, shopping and laundry.
2) Assistive Technology – appliances and devices that increase the individual’s ability to live independently.
How to Apply for the Independent Choices Program
Applications for the program are managed by the local Area Agencies on Aging offices. Find the local AAA for each Oregon county. or call their toll-free number at 1-866-294-0153. A brochure for the program can be downloaded here.
Use our Eldercare Financial Resource Locator Tool to find other public and private programs that can help pay for or reduce the costs of long term care for the elderly.
