Consumer Directed Services in Missouri
Consumer Directed Services, or CDS, is a MO HealthNet program that pays for help at home. It differs from other home care in one big way: you pick the person who helps you.
With most home care an agency picks the aide and sets the times. If that aide is a poor fit, you get a different stranger.
CDS turns that around. The state decides how many hours you need, and you hire someone you already trust to do the work.
Who does what
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| You | You are the boss. You hire your attendant. You train them. You set the hours. You can let them go. You sign their timesheets. |
| Your attendant | They do the tasks on your care plan. They sign timesheets with you. |
| Communicare Elite | We pay your attendant and take out their taxes. We check the paperwork, show you how to be an employer, and bill Medicaid so no money passes between you and your attendant. |
We did not make up that split. It is in state law. RSMo 208.900 says a vendor must oversee the attendant, train the consumer, and handle the money.
Who the program is for
CDS is for adults with a physical disability who can direct their own care. In short, you need to:
- Be 18 or older
- Have MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid)
- Have a physical disability
- Be able to make your own choices about your care
- Need the level of care a nursing home would give
Who can be your attendant
State law is clear here. RSMo 208.900 says an attendant is “a person, other than the consumer’s spouse.”
Read that again. The only person who cannot be paid is your husband or wife. Your son or daughter can be, and so can your mother, father, sister, cousin, neighbor or a friend from church.
Whoever you choose must pass a background check before they start.
What CDS is not
CDS is not medical care. Your attendant is not a nurse, so they do not give shots, change wound dressings or do physical therapy. If you need that kind of care, your doctor sets it up separately. See how the two differ →
How to start
- Check if you likely qualify. It takes two minutes.
- Ask the state for a home visit.
- The state visits you and writes your care plan.
- Pick Communicare Elite as your vendor.
- Name the person you want to hire.
- They start work and get paid on a regular payday.
Ready to take the next step?
Call (314) 809-6655 for a free consultation, or text (314) 886-5902. We serve St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Missouri communities within about 40 miles of our office.