Indiana PathWays for Aging, the state's Medicaid program for people 60 and older, pays for help at home, including a family caregiver, for members who need a nursing-home level of care. Indiana PathWays for Aging family caregiver pay runs through two services, Attendant Care and Structured Family Caregiving: an adult child or other relative can be paid, and a spouse only for extraordinary care through an agency. If your relative is not yet in Indiana PathWays, request a level-of-care assessment from Maximus at 1-833-597-2777; if they are, their PathWays health plan does it.

In This Guide

Who Qualifies for PathWays for Aging

PathWays for Aging is run by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) through three health plans: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana Healthy Horizons and UnitedHealthcare. PathWays for Aging serves Medicaid members 60 and older in a full-coverage aged, blind or disabled category, with or without Medicare. PathWays for Aging excludes some groups even at 60, including Healthy Indiana Plan members and people on the Traumatic Brain Injury waiver.

Family caregiver pay comes through the PathWays home-care waiver. To qualify for the Indiana PathWays for Aging waiver, your relative must:

  • be 65 or older, or 60 to 64 with a physical or other disability
  • need nursing facility level of care
  • live in, or be moving into, a home or community setting rather than an institution
  • have income within the PathWays waiver limit of $2,982 a month, counting only their own income (effective March 1, 2026)
  • meet the PathWays waiver's 2026 asset limit of $2,000 single or $3,000 married

FSSA says PathWays itself has no waitlist; only its waiver services do. After people leaving a nursing facility, a hospital or Indiana's state-funded CHOICE program, FSSA invites people from the waiting list by their level-of-care assessment date, so request it early. More in our Indiana Medicaid HCBS waivers guide.

Which Family Members Indiana PathWays for Aging Pays

PathWays Attendant Care is hourly hands-on help with daily activities. Structured Family Caregiving pays a daily stipend to a caregiver who lives with the person.

Your relationship Attendant Care Structured Family Caregiving
Adult child Yes, through an agency or self-directed Yes, if you live with them
Other relative Yes, through an agency or self-directed Yes, if you live with them
Spouse Only for extraordinary nursing care, agency only Only as extraordinary care, agency only
Legal guardian Yes, through an agency, not self-directed Yes, through an agency
Must you live with them? Not required Yes
How you're paid By the hour, through the agency or payroll vendor Daily stipend from the agency

PathWays Attendant Care never pays a son, daughter or other relative directly: under the waiver amendment approved effective Aug. 1, 2026, it pays them through an FSSA-approved agency or, when the family self-directs, the financial management services vendor. Under PathWays for Aging, a relative or guardian can be paid for up to 40 hours a week combined across Attendant Care, Home and Community Assistance and Skilled Respite.

PathWays Structured Family Caregiving is agency-only, the caregiver must live in the home, and the agency pays the stipend. The Structured Family Caregiving daily rate has three levels, set by an assessment at least once a year. PathWays makes no separate Attendant Care payment for someone receiving Structured Family Caregiving.

Spouses face the highest bar: PathWays extraordinary care means care beyond what a spouse would ordinarily do in the household. In PathWays Attendant Care, a spouse's extraordinary care must also meet intensive nursing needs such as continuous ventilator care or tracheostomy care, cannot be self-directed, and is capped at 40 hours a week. Without those nursing needs, agency Structured Family Caregiving or another relative may be the realistic route. See getting paid to care for your spouse in Indiana.

What Indiana PathWays for Aging Family Caregivers Are Paid

Home care aides in Indiana earn about $16.86 an hour (estimate based on home care aide wages in Indiana, BLS, May 2025); that is a wage estimate, not a program rate.

Indiana Medicaid's July 2025 provider bulletin lists what it pays the agency, not your wage: $34.36 an hour for Attendant Care, and $77.54, $99.71 or $133.44 a day for Structured Family Caregiving, by assessed level. Since July 1, 2025, Indiana requires agencies to pass through at least 70% (Attendant Care) or 60% (Structured Family Caregiving) to the direct-care side, but those shares also cover costs such as benefits, supervision or overhead. Before signing on, ask the agency what hourly or daily amount reaches you after its share.

How to Start Getting Paid Through PathWays

1
Step 1

Not enrolled in PathWays yet? Request the level-of-care assessment

Call Maximus at 1-833-597-2777, or ask your Area Agency on Aging at 800-713-9023 for a referral.,

2
Step 2

Not on Medicaid?

See how to apply for Indiana Medicaid.

3
Step 3

Already a PathWays member? Call their health plan

The plan does members' level-of-care assessments, and caregivers can call it for help., Member Support Services (877-738-3511) also helps members, caregivers and families.

4
Step 4

Need to choose or change a health plan?

Call the PathWays Helpline at 877-284-9294. PathWays for Aging health plan changes are limited to set windows, including 90 days after first enrolling, mid-October to mid-December each year, or once a year for any reason.

5
Step 5

Ask for Attendant Care or Structured Family Caregiving and name yourself as the caregiver

It goes into the person-centered service plan.

The official program site is in.gov/pathways.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PathWays caregiver pay taxable?

Under IRS Notice 2014-7, waiver pay is excludable from federal gross income only when you give the care in your own home and your relative lives there too. See whether Medicaid caregiver pay is taxable.

My parent has Medicare too. Does that change anything?

Indiana's PathWays Dual Care combines Medicare and Medicaid in one plan and still covers PathWays waiver services for members who meet waiver eligibility. See Indiana integrated dual plans.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in IndianaHow to get paid caring for a family member in Indiana: Structured Family Caregiving, PathWays for Aging, who can be hired, spouse rules, and VA options. CaregiverCan a Family Member Be Paid for Attendant Care in Indiana?Indiana Attendant Care family caregiver pay: an adult child or relative can be the paid attendant, up to 40 hours a week; a spouse only for nursing care. CaregiverStructured Family Caregiving in IndianaIndiana Structured Family Caregiving pays a relative who lives with the person, through an agency; a spouse only for extraordinary care. Rates, first call. CaregiverGetting Paid to Care for Your Spouse in IndianaCan you get paid to care for your spouse in Indiana? Sometimes: Structured Family Caregiving pays a spouse for extraordinary care, and VA programs can too. CaregiverIndiana Caregiver ProgramsEvery caregiver program in Indiana: Structured Family Caregiving, Attendant Care, PathWays respite, NFCSP support, VA benefits, and taxes explained for 2026.

Find personalized help getting paid as a PathWays for Aging family caregiver at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

Still have questions?

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