Consumer directed services · Arnold
Consumer Directed Services in Arnold, Missouri
In Arnold, Communicare Elite is the MO HealthNet CDS vendor. Eligible participants choose their own personal care attendant — any relationship other than spouse — and we take on payroll, program paperwork and Medicaid billing.
Why home care matters in Arnold
Arnold sits at the top of Jefferson County where I-55 crosses the Meramec, and it functions as the county’s front door to St. Louis. It has grown steadily for decades, and a good deal of that growth was young families buying affordable houses in the 1970s and 80s — those same households are now reaching the age where help at home becomes the question.
Jefferson County has fewer home care options than St. Louis County, and that shortage is exactly why the consumer-directed model works well here. You are not waiting for an agency to have staff available in your area; you hire someone you already know, from your own community, and we employ and pay them. Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City and the St. Louis hospitals up I-55 are both reachable, and transportation is frequently a significant part of an Arnold care plan.
How do you sign up for Consumer Directed Services in Arnold?
Confirm MO HealthNet eligibility, request the Department of Health and Senior Services assessment on 866-835-3505, and get your plan authorized — then choose your vendor. Each step in detail.
What tasks can a CDS attendant be paid for?
What can be paid for is whatever your authorized plan lists, across personal care, household tasks and transport. See the covered tasks.
Can a family member get paid to care for you in Arnold?
Jefferson County families often provide years of unpaid care before hearing this is an option. Anyone but a spouse can be hired. What to do.
How far is our office from Arnold?
Communicare Elite is at 4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 106, St. Louis, MO 63134, minutes from Lambert International Airport — about 35 minutes from Arnold. Most business is handled by phone, but you are welcome at the office; call ahead so someone is expecting you.
We serve Missouri only. Consumer Directed Services is a Missouri Medicaid program. Illinois residents are served by Illinois programs and Illinois providers, even a few minutes across the river.
Questions from Arnold families
Is Jefferson County within your service area?
Yes. Arnold and the northern half of Jefferson County are comfortably within about 40 miles of our office.
There are not many home care agencies down here. Does CDS work differently?
It does, and that is an advantage locally. You supply the person — a relative, a neighbor, a friend — rather than depending on an agency having staff free in your area.
How far do I have to travel to deal with paperwork?
Rarely, if at all. Most of it is handled by phone and mail. Call (314) 809-6655 and we will tell you what actually requires a visit.
What is EVV and does it affect me?
Electronic Visit Verification records when care is delivered, and it applies to CDS timesheets. How EVV works.
What if English is not my first language?
Language access is part of how the program is meant to be delivered. Non-discrimination and language access.
Who pays my personal care attendant?
Communicare Elite does. You choose your attendant and direct the work, and we employ and pay them. As the MO HealthNet CDS vendor for Arnold, we also take on the payroll, the program paperwork and the Medicaid billing. Your part is picking the right person and directing the care; ours is the administration behind it.
Can my attendant drive me to Mercy Hospital Jefferson or into St. Louis?
Yes, when transportation is in your authorized plan. What an attendant can be paid for is whatever the plan lists across personal care, household tasks and transport. For many Arnold residents, transportation is a big part of the plan, because Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City and the St. Louis hospitals up I-55 are both a drive away.
Is Consumer Directed Services a Medicaid program?
Yes. Consumer Directed Services is a Missouri Medicaid program run under MO HealthNet. Eligible Arnold residents choose their own personal care attendant, anyone other than a spouse, and Communicare Elite handles payroll, paperwork and Medicaid billing. Because it is a Missouri program, we serve Missouri residents only; Illinois residents are served by Illinois programs and providers.
Nearby communities we also serve
Festus · Kirkwood · St. Louis County · St. Louis City — or see the whole service area.
Serving Arnold and the surrounding area.
Call us for a free consultation, or text us. We serve St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Missouri communities within about 40 miles of our office.