North Dakota Medicaid State Plan personal care pays an adult child or other relative enrolled as a Qualified Service Provider (QSP) to help a Medicaid member with bathing, dressing and daily care. North Dakota Medicaid State Plan personal care never pays a spouse or legal guardian; if your parent has Medicaid, call the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at 1-855-462-5465 first.

In This Guide

Who Can Be the Paid Caregiver?

If you already help Mom or Dad bathe and dress every morning, that work may be payable. North Dakota Medicaid State Plan personal care (MSP-PC) can pay an adult child or other relative enrolled as a Qualified Service Provider who meets the state's QSP standards, but North Dakota's administrative code bars payment to a spouse, parent of a minor child or legal guardian.

Relationship to the person Can be paid? The rule
Spouse No Barred by North Dakota's personal care rule
Legal guardian No Barred by the same rule
Adult child or other relative Yes Must enroll as a QSP
Former spouse Yes Allowed under the HHS manual
Live-in relative (not a spouse or guardian) Yes Can ask for the State Plan daily rate over Family Personal Care; the department decides

If you're the spouse, that bar is hard to hear; our North Dakota spouse caregiver guide covers what a spouse can be paid for.

Does Your Loved One Qualify for North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care?

North Dakota State Plan personal care eligibility turns on the person needing care, not you: the state pays only when the person has been found eligible for Medicaid and an assessment finds them impaired in at least one activity of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, incontinence, mobility, toileting or transferring) or in at least three of four instrumental activities (medication assistance, laundry, housekeeping and meal preparation).

North Dakota's HHS personal care manual adds two State Plan conditions: the person must live in a private family home or a licensed basic care facility, and must be on traditional Medicaid, or on Medicaid Expansion and deemed medically frail.

How Many Hours, and How Pay Is Set

North Dakota Medicaid State Plan personal care allows up to 120 hours a month. The North Dakota State Plan cap rises to 240 hours for someone at nursing facility level of care, and to 300 for someone at that level who is also impaired in at least five of the seven daily activities, with none of those 300 hours used for laundry, shopping or housekeeping. ND HHS must authorize State Plan personal care in advance and won't pay beyond the approved plan, so the plan, not the hours you give, sets what's paid.

Under North Dakota State Plan personal care, a QSP is paid in 15-minute units at a provider-specific rate capped at the department's maximum. Under North Dakota State Plan personal care, ND HHS may authorize a daily rate instead of 15-minute units, at its discretion, for a QSP who lives with the person. The North Dakota State Plan daily rate is paid for each day with at least 60 minutes of personal care, to only one QSP.

ND HHS's rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026, lists $6.98 per 15-minute unit for an individual QSP in North Dakota State Plan personal care. That won't match the work's worth, but it is real pay. As of October 2026, ND HHS's live-in daily rate FAQ says a live-in caregiver, such as a relative, who had a close personal relationship with the person before services started is eligible for overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for care over 40 hours a week; for the North Dakota State Plan live-in daily rate (T1020), that FAQ bases overtime on half of a $27.92 hourly rate.,

How to Apply for North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care

1
Step 1

Get Medicaid in place first, if it isn't

Apply to ND HHS for North Dakota Medicaid online through its self-service portal or on paper (SFN 958 for older or disabled applicants); its Customer Support Center at (866) 614-6005 can help.

2
Step 2

Call the Aging and Disability Resource-LINK at 1-855-462-5465

ND HHS lists the Resource-LINK for home and community-based services. You can request North Dakota State Plan personal care for your parent, but your parent must agree to a home visit.

3
Step 3

Complete the assessment

The formal application is the Application for Services, SFN 1047. A North Dakota case manager must schedule the first assessment within five working days of your request and finish it within ten working days.

4
Step 4

Enroll as a QSP

Sign up as an individual QSP through North Dakota's QSP enrollment portal; the QSP Hub on ND HHS's QSP page can help.

5
Step 5

Wait for the authorization

No North Dakota State Plan personal care is paid until ND HHS grants prior authorization.

For every paid route in North Dakota, start with our guide on how to get paid as a family caregiver in North Dakota.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be paid under State Plan personal care if I live with my mother?

Yes. North Dakota Medicaid State Plan personal care can pay a live-in adult child who isn't a spouse or legal guardian. A relative already providing North Dakota State Plan personal care doesn't have to move to Family Personal Care. If your mother chooses the North Dakota State Plan live-in daily rate with you as her provider, the case manager writes a person-centered plan of care and a service agreement with her and her legal decision maker.

My brother helps out for free. Does that hurt my dad's eligibility?

Not under North Dakota's personal care rule, which says State Plan personal care may be provided to a recipient who has natural supports, meaning informal, unpaid caregivers like your brother.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in North DakotaNorth Dakota's HCBS waiver can pay a spouse or close relative who lives with the care recipient, and VA programs can pay veteran family caregivers. CaregiverNorth Dakota Family Personal Care: How a Live-In Spouse or Relative Gets PaidNorth Dakota Family Personal Care pays a live-in spouse or relative enrolled as a QSP. See who qualifies, which tasks count, and the 3- and 10-hour rules. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in North DakotaNorth Dakota's Medicaid waiver lets a spouse be the paid Family Personal Care provider if you live in the same home. Here is how to qualify, plus VA routes. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in North Dakota: A Complete DirectoryNorth Dakota caregiver programs that pay a spouse or relative, live-in or not: Family Personal Care, SPED, free NFCSP respite, VA stipends and tax rules.

Find personalized help getting paid to care for a parent in North Dakota 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.

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