“Does my mom qualify?” is usually the first question families ask us – and the honest answer is that Texas has several doors into in-home care, each with its own rules. Here is the plain-language version of all of them.
Texas Medicaid STAR+PLUS – the main door for ongoing caregivers
STAR+PLUS is the Texas Medicaid managed-care program that pays for long-term, in-home help with daily living. The general checklist:
- Age/disability: an adult 65 or older, or age 21+ with a qualifying disability
- Financial: meets Medicaid income and asset limits (check at YourTexasBenefits or call 2-1-1)
- Functional: needs hands-on help with at least one activity of daily living – bathing, dressing, transferring, meals, toileting
- Assessment: the health plan’s service coordinator visits, assesses needs, and authorizes weekly attendant hours
If that sounds like your family member, the next step is simple: request the assessment from their STAR+PLUS plan, or call us and we will help you request it. Once hours are authorized, Newport provides the personal assistance caregiver – and a qualified family member can often be that paid caregiver.
Medicare – short-term and skilled, not ongoing caregivers
Medicare does not pay for an ongoing daily caregiver. It covers skilled care at home – nursing visits, therapy – when a physician orders it and the person is considered homebound, typically after a hospitalization. Details at Medicare.gov. If what your family needs is months of help with bathing and meals, Medicare is the wrong door – STAR+PLUS is the right one.
Veterans benefits
Veterans and some surviving spouses may qualify for home care support through VA programs – see VA health care. We accept VA benefits; bring it up when you call and we will help you sort out what applies.
Private pay – no qualification at all
Anyone can start companion or attendant care privately, usually within days. Families often begin here while a Medicaid application is pending.
Not sure which door is yours?
That is genuinely what we do all day. Read how to get started, or skip ahead:
Talk to a real person: call Newport Home Health at 972-602-3500. We serve Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, and the consultation is free.
