If you already give unpaid care to a parent or other relative in Oklahoma, the ADvantage Waiver can pay you as a family caregiver once the ADvantage care team agrees. ADvantage is Oklahoma's Medicaid waiver for home care for older and disabled adults who need nursing-home-level care; its Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services and Supports (CDPASS) option lets your relative hire their own caregiver.

In This Guide

Does Your Parent Qualify for Oklahoma's ADvantage Waiver?

If your parent needs nursing-home-level help but wants to stay at home, ADvantage is the program built for that. Oklahoma's ADvantage Waiver is a Medicaid 1915(c) home and community-based services waiver. Per the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), a person must, among other requirements, qualify financially for SoonerCare, Oklahoma's Medicaid program, be 65 or a disabled adult as determined by the Social Security Administration, meet nursing facility level of care, and live in their own or a family member's home (full list)., Financially, that means countable income at or below $2,982 a month and resources at or below $2,000 for an individual, with a Medicaid Income Pension Trust for income over the line (see our Oklahoma how-to-apply guide).,

Dementia alone doesn't rule your parent out. Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS), which runs ADvantage day to day, serves people 65 and older and adults 19 to 64 without an intellectual disability or developmentally related cognitive impairment, and OHCA counts a severe memory impairment toward nursing facility level of care.

ADvantage personal care comes from an agency or through CDPASS, open to active ADvantage and Medically Fragile Waiver members. In CDPASS, your relative is the employer, hires a personal assistant (PSA) and manages an employer budget.,

How Much Does CDPASS Pay a Family Caregiver in Oklahoma?

If you're weighing fewer hours at work, the pay question matters most, and Oklahoma doesn't answer it in one number. The case manager sets the service plan hours, and your relative negotiates the PSA's wage within a maximum limit. An adult child or other relative is paid for the plan's hours; the ADvantage rules and waiver text we found cap hours only for a paid spouse or guardian.

We found no published Oklahoma CDPASS wage. For a rough estimate, Oklahoma home health and personal care aides earn a median of $13.32 an hour (BLS, May 2025), not a rate ADvantage publishes. Ask the case manager for the maximum wage before anyone cuts back at work.

Who Oklahoma's ADvantage Waiver Can Pay as a Family Caregiver

For a relative who has been helping for months, the question is whether the care team says yes. These ADvantage rules cover agency personal care and CDPASS alike.

Family member Can ADvantage pay them?
Adult child or relative already giving unpaid care Only if the care team agrees
Relative who lives with your relative Only after a care team review
Spouse or legal guardian Only by exception, up to 40 hours in 7 days
Someone with active power of attorney Not as the CDPASS provider

Relatives already helping. Oklahoma's ADvantage waiver application, approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for waiver years from July 1, 2021, says what matters is less being a relative than being "already a part of the informal support system providing services informally and without compensation." Before hiring a relative already giving unpaid care, the ADvantage interdisciplinary team considers whether the member has been offered a choice of providers, and whether:

Once an unpaid helper becomes paid, that waiver text requires a monthly case management home visit; whether the renewal keeps this wording isn't confirmed.

If you live together. Sharing a home triggers a care team review and a service plan amendment, noted in the case file (OAC 317:35-17-14).

Can a Spouse Be Paid Through ADvantage?

For a spouse already giving this care, the answer is narrow: sometimes, by exception. OKDHS may authorize a member's spouse or legal guardian as a paid ADvantage personal care provider only if every condition in OAC 317:30-5-761 is met. There has to be a documented reason, such as no area provider having staff available. The paid spouse can work no more than 40 hours in 7 days, and the case manager visits at least monthly.

Even when paid through ADvantage, a spouse must stay the unpaid primary and emergency backup caregiver, so plan for respite. Our Oklahoma spouse caregiver pay guide covers the conditions in detail.

How to Apply for the ADvantage Waiver in Oklahoma

Because ADvantage can have a waitlist, apply early and keep your job until the hire is approved. While you wait, ask about SoonerCare State Plan Personal Care, a separate in-home personal care service (see the FAQ below).

1
Step 1

Apply for SoonerCare with OKDHS

at a county office, with the PS-1 Request for Services form, or online through OKDHS Live!. Or start an ADvantage application by calling the Medicaid Services Unit at 1-800-435-4711.

2
Step 2

Get the nurse assessment

For ADvantage, an OKDHS nurse decides medical eligibility using the Uniform Comprehensive Assessment Tool (UCAT), by phone or video unless a face-to-face visit is needed, within ten business days of a complete application.,

3
Step 3

If your relative lives in a nursing facility,

the ADvantage Waiver application is referred to the Living Choice program first.

4
Step 4

Ask the case manager for CDPASS

and name the relative you'd like hired, so the care team can review it.

Where the ADvantage Renewal Stands

Oklahoma is renewing ADvantage, so the rules in this guide may change. Ask the case manager which rules apply to your application. OHCA says OKDHS is seeking to renew the waiver, with the renewal amendments effective on CMS approval or January 1, 2027, whichever is earliest. CMS's record shows an approved period ending June 30, 2026, with no approved renewal listed in October 2026. The latest approved application OHCA links, effective October 1, 2025, still lists CDPASS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Oklahoma have CDPAP?

CDPAP is New York's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. In Oklahoma, ADvantage members self-direct personal care through CDPASS.

Is ADvantage caregiver pay taxable?

Possibly not. Under IRS Notice 2014-7, ADvantage 1915(c) waiver payments can be excluded from federal income when you give care in a home you share with your relative, not when you live in a separate home., See whether Medicaid waiver payments are taxable.

What if the care team says no to paying me?

That's a hard answer after months of caring for free. Your relative can still get ADvantage personal care from an agency, or hire someone else as their CDPASS personal assistant; ask the case manager to explain the reason.,

My parent gets SoonerCare personal care without the waiver. Can I be paid?

That's Oklahoma's SoonerCare State Plan Personal Care, a separate program: a spouse or legal guardian can't be the paid aide, and the rule we found is silent on adult children, so ask the agency.

Learn More

Find personalized help with Oklahoma's ADvantage Waiver and CDPASS 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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Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.