In Wyoming, the clearest way to get paid as a family caregiver is to care for a veteran whose VA benefits include a caregiver stipend. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers pays a monthly stipend, which VA has described as a nontaxable benefit, to a designated Primary Family Caregiver, who can be a spouse or other family member, or someone who lives full time with the veteran. VA Aid and Attendance adds pension paid to the veteran, up to an annual ceiling of $34,488 in 2026 for a veteran with one dependent.,,

For non-veteran households, paid family caregiving in Wyoming runs mainly through Medicaid's Community Choices Waiver (CCW). Under its participant-directed option, the Employer of Record may hire the participant's relative or spouse if the CMS-approved waiver authorizes it and the relative meets the Department's standards, but the Employer of Record cannot also be paid, so a different person must take that role. Confirm with Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531 before counting on it.

The Short Version

If the care recipient is a veteran, VA programs are the strongest route. PCAFC pays a monthly stipend, which VA has described as nontaxable, to a designated Primary Family Caregiver, who can be a spouse or other family member. Where the local VA medical center offers it, Veteran-Directed Care gives the veteran a flexible budget to hire personal care aides, which VA says might include a family member. Aid and Attendance adds pension income the veteran can direct toward family care.,,

If the care recipient qualifies for Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver, its participant-directed option can let a relative or spouse be hired as the paid worker if the CMS-approved waiver authorizes it and Department standards are met, with someone else as Employer of Record. Call Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531 to confirm.

If neither VA benefits nor Medicaid applies, the family can pay a relative privately. If Medicaid might be needed later, set the arrangement up in writing with an elder-law attorney first, because Wyoming Medicaid denies long-term care coverage when assets were transferred for less than they are worth in the five years before applying.

What Wyoming Offers

Community Choices Waiver (CCW)

Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver (CCW) is a Medicaid waiver that offers an alternative to nursing-facility care for adults 65 and older and adults 19 to 64 with a disability. A trained public health nurse evaluates each applicant with the Long-Term Care 101 (LT-101) assessment tool, the Department must find a need for nursing-facility level of care, and income must generally be at or below 300% of the Federal Benefit Rate, with limited countable resources. Covered services include personal support services, homemaker, adult day services, home health aide, and respite.

Under the CCW's participant-directed option, the participant, a legal guardian, or another person the participant designates serves as the Employer of Record (EOR). The EOR may hire the participant's relative or spouse as an employee if the CMS-approved waiver authorizes it and the relative meets the Department's standards. The EOR cannot also be paid to provide CCW services, so a spouse who takes on the EOR role gives up being the paid caregiver, and a family that wants one relative paid needs a different person as EOR. Confirm current rules with Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531.

Since the July 1, 2026 renewal, a spouse can be hired only if there is no evidence the spouse is authorized to make financial decisions for the participant, and only if the participant needs care beyond what a spouse would ordinarily provide. A legal guardian may not be paid, and a participant-directed employee cannot work more than 40 hours a week.

Ask Wyoming Medicaid what pay rate and hours the waiver would authorize for a hired relative. For a real-world benchmark, Wyoming's non-medical caregiver rate was about $46 an hour in 2025, the highest in the nation and well above the roughly $35-an-hour national median; on the survey's basis of 44 hours of care a week, that is about $8,771 a month (CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, an industry survey, not a government figure).

The Wyoming Department of Health Division of Healthcare Financing administers the CCW. Wyoming Medicaid can also help with eligibility questions at 1-307-777-7531 or 1-800-510-0280.

NFCSP Through the Wyoming Aging Division

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (Older Americans Act Title III-E) is administered by the Wyoming Aging Division, which as a single Planning and Service Area delivers services through grants to local providers rather than separate regional Area Agencies on Aging. The Division's NFCSP page describes the help as respite support for temporary breaks, support group connections, and help to provide specific, needed services. The Division does not describe NFCSP as paying the caregiver a wage; for questions about becoming a paid caregiver, Wyoming Medicaid's HCBS lines are 307-777-7531 and 1-800-510-0280.

It serves adults 18 and over caring for someone 60 or older or for someone of any age with Alzheimer's or a related dementia; the parent of an adult 18 to 59 with a disability also qualifies. Help is available in every Wyoming county except Albany, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sublette, Washakie and Weston. The federal program behind it pays for individual counseling, support groups, caregiver training and respite care.

To connect with local services, contact the Wyoming Aging Division at (800) 442-2766 or use the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Six Ways to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in Wyoming

Pathway 1: CCW Participant-Directed Care

For someone who qualifies for the CCW, the participant-directed route works like this.

1
Step 1

Start the waiver application

Contact the Department of Health's HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280, or Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531, to begin the CCW eligibility process.

2
Step 2

Complete the needs assessment

A trained public health nurse evaluates the care recipient with the LT-101 tool, and the Department must find a need for nursing-facility level of care, rechecked at least annually. Financial eligibility is reviewed too.

3
Step 3

Choose the Employer of Record

The participant, a legal guardian, or another person the participant designates serves as EOR. That person cannot also be the paid caregiver.

4
Step 4

Confirm the family-hire rule

Confirm with Wyoming Medicaid that the CMS-approved waiver authorizes hiring a relative or spouse and that the person you plan to hire meets the Department's requirements and standards.

5
Step 5

Begin receiving pay

The EOR hires the relative or spouse as an employee. The EOR cannot delegate or assign the EOR's own responsibilities to another person or entity.

Pathway 2: Additional Wyoming Medicaid LTSS Options

The CCW is one of three waivers run by the Department's HCBS Section. The other two, the Comprehensive and Supports Waivers (the DD Waivers), serve people of all ages with an intellectual disability, and the Supports Waiver also serves people ages 21 to 64 with an acquired brain injury. The Comprehensive Waiver also requires individuals to meet additional emergency criteria to receive services. So an older adult with an intellectual or developmental disability may have a route outside the CCW. Ask Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531 whether family members can be paid service providers under these waivers.

Pathway 3: VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)

The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers pays a monthly stipend to a designated Primary Family Caregiver of an eligible veteran, and the caregiver must be enrolled in direct deposit through the VA customer engagement portal to get it. The caregiver must be at least 18 and either a spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member, or extended family member of the veteran, or someone who lives full time with the veteran (or is willing to, if VA designates them). A veteran may have one Primary and up to two Secondary Family Caregivers.

VA lists four requirements for the veteran, and all must be true: a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher, a discharge or date of medical discharge from the military, a need for at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care services, and enrollment in VA health care. Meeting them does not settle eligibility: the caregiver and veteran apply together and go through VA's application process. The stipend is monthly, not hourly. It starts from the OPM General Schedule grade 4, step 1 annual salary for the veteran's geographic locality, divided by 12, and that monthly base is then multiplied by a factor. 38 CFR 71.40(c)(4)(i) sets five rungs using three multipliers (0.625, 1.00 and 0.25), and which one applies turns first on whether the veteran is in the current program or is a legacy participant or legacy applicant.,

  • Current program, meaning the veteran meets 38 CFR 71.20(a): the multiplier is 0.625, or 1.00 if the VA determines the veteran is "unable to self-sustain in the community."
  • Legacy participant or legacy applicant under 38 CFR 71.20(b) or (c): the multiplier is set by the sum of the veteran's 2019 clinical ratings, with no self-sustain determination required. A sum of 21 or higher pays 1.00, 13 through 20 pays 0.625, and 1 through 12 pays 0.25.
  • A veteran who meets both sets of criteria is paid whichever of the two amounts is higher.
  • A legacy participant has a floor as well: the stipend cannot drop below what the caregiver was eligible to receive the day before October 1, 2020, while the veteran remains at the address on record. The legacy schedule itself lapses October 1, 2028.

For a legacy Wyoming household, the practical point is that the 2019 rating sum alone can reach the full 1.00 multiplier. Do not assume the "unable to self-sustain" finding is the only way to the top amount.

In the preamble to its March 2020 proposed PCAFC rule, VA described the monthly stipend as "a nontaxable benefit." Primary and Secondary Family Caregivers can both get caregiver education and training, mental health counseling, and certain travel benefits. Primary Family Caregivers may also get CHAMPVA health care benefits if they don't already qualify for care or services under another health care plan, plus at least 30 days of respite care per year. For help and referrals, VA's Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

Pathway 4: VA Veteran-Directed Care (VDC)

VA Veteran-Directed Care gives veterans a flexible budget for home and community services that the veteran or the family caregiver can manage. Veterans can hire their own personal care aides, which VA says "might include their own family member or neighbor." The Administration for Community Living, which developed VDC with VA, says VA medical centers deliver it through aging and disability network agencies such as area agencies on aging.,

VA says enrolled veterans are eligible if they meet the clinical need for the service and it is available, and that the program "is only available in certain locations." Talk with the veteran's VA social worker to find out whether VDC is offered in the veteran's location and whether a spouse can be the hired worker. In ACL's model VDC handbook, which local agencies adapt to their own programs, a financial management services provider acts as the veteran's payroll agent, pays payroll taxes and issues W-2 forms to the veteran's employees.

Pathway 5: VA Aid and Attendance

VA Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly pension for veterans and survivors who already get a VA pension and meet at least one of VA's listed needs, such as needing another person's help with bathing, feeding and dressing. The underlying Veterans Pension is for wartime veterans who meet an age or disability test and VA's income and net worth limits.

2026 Aid and Attendance maximum annual pension rates (effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026):

  • Veteran with no dependents: up to $29,093 per year
  • Veteran with one dependent: up to $34,488
  • Surviving spouse (no dependents): up to $18,697

The VA publishes these as annual ceilings: VA pays the ceiling minus countable income, so a household with income receives less, and the monthly payment is that difference divided by 12, rounded down to the whole dollar.

The net worth limit is $163,699. VA pension also applies a 36-month asset-transfer look-back and penalty period under 38 CFR 3.276, and the look-back does not reach any date before October 18, 2018.

The veteran receives the pension, not the caregiver. Families can direct those funds to a family caregiver through a personal arrangement.

Pathway 6: Private Personal Services Contract

Families outside both VA and Wyoming Medicaid can pay a relative privately under a written agreement. If Wyoming Medicaid long-term care might be needed later, those payments matter: Medicaid denies long-term services and supports coverage to someone who transferred, sold or gifted assets for less than they are worth in the five years before applying, and the rule covers people seeking home and community-based waiver services as well as nursing-facility care.

Have a Wyoming elder-law attorney draft the agreement before care begins, spelling out services, schedule and rate, and keep a care log. For the going rate, see the $46-an-hour CareScout benchmark above.

Pathway Administered by Spouse eligible? Typical value Key requirement
CCW participant-directed care WY Medicaid / Dept of Health May be hired if care needs exceed what a spouse would ordinarily provide and the spouse has no financial authority for the participant; not as Employer of Record Ask WY Medicaid about the authorized rate and hours Age 65+ (or 19-64 with a disability), nursing-facility level of care, income generally at or below 300% of FBR
DD Waivers (Comprehensive, Supports) WY Medicaid / Dept of Health Confirm with WY Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531 Ask WY Medicaid Intellectual disability, or acquired brain injury ages 21-64 (Supports Waiver); Comprehensive Waiver also requires additional emergency criteria
VA PCAFC VA (federal) Yes, if 18 or older Varies by locality and by which multiplier applies; VA has described it as nontaxable 70%+ VA rating, discharge, 6+ months of in-person care, VA health care enrollment
VA Veteran-Directed Care VA + aging and disability network agency Family members may be hired; ask the VAMC about a spouse Flexible budget based on daily-living needs VA health care enrollment, clinical need, VDC offered locally
VA Aid and Attendance VA (federal) Paid to the veteran, who may pay a family member Up to $34,488/yr (veteran with one dependent), paid to the veteran Qualifies for VA pension (wartime service); net worth within $163,699
Private pay agreement Private Any relative, by agreement Negotiated rate Written agreement before care begins; Medicaid's five-year look-back matters if Medicaid is needed later

How to Choose

Veteran household: If the veteran has a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, was discharged from the military (or has a date of medical discharge), needs at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care, and is enrolled in VA health care, start with PCAFC. VA has described the stipend as nontaxable, a spouse can be the caregiver, and a Primary Family Caregiver with no other health care plan may also get CHAMPVA coverage. Layer Aid and Attendance pension on top if the veteran qualifies for both. Ask the veteran's VA social worker about Veteran-Directed Care as a flexible supplement.,,,

Non-veteran Medicaid household: Call Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531 to confirm CCW eligibility and whether the relative or spouse you plan to hire meets the Department's standards. Whoever serves as Employer of Record cannot also be the paid caregiver.

Private-pay household: Paying a relative under a written agreement is the remaining route. Involve a Wyoming elder-law attorney if the care recipient might apply for Wyoming Medicaid within the next five years, the window Medicaid looks back over for transfers.

Not sure which pathway fits? Brevy's care navigator can help you work through Wyoming's options. Chat at brevy.com.

IRS Notice 2014-7 and Taxes

Under IRS Notice 2014-7, the IRS treats qualified Medicaid waiver payments as difficulty-of-care payments excludable from the caregiver's federal gross income under Internal Revenue Code section 131. The notice covers payments to individual care providers under a state Medicaid home and community-based services waiver described in section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, which is how the CCW is authorized., The exclusion applies only to pay for care given in the caregiver's own home, where the care recipient also lives under their plan of care, and it does not apply if the caregiver has a separate home where they live. Check with a tax professional whether your arrangement qualifies.

In the preamble to its March 2020 proposed PCAFC rule, VA described the monthly stipend as "a nontaxable benefit."

Common Misconceptions

"CCW participant direction automatically lets any family member be the paid worker." A relative or spouse can be hired only if the CMS-approved waiver authorizes it and Department standards are met, and the Employer of Record cannot also be paid, so the person managing the care and the person paid must be different people.

"Medicare pays for ongoing personal care." Medicare does not cover custodial care, the non-medical help with bathing, dressing and using the bathroom, when that is the only care a person needs. It covers skilled nursing and therapy care in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility or through its home health benefit. Wyoming Medicaid and VA programs are the routes for ongoing help with daily activities.

"A verbal arrangement is enough for Medicaid purposes." Wyoming Medicaid denies long-term care coverage when assets were transferred for less than they are worth in the five years before applying, so payments to a relative should come with a record of the care they bought. Put the arrangement in writing with a Wyoming elder-law attorney before care begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get paid to care for my parent in Wyoming?

Possibly, through the participant-directed option of Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver (CCW), if your parent qualifies. The Employer of Record may hire a relative as an employee if the waiver authorizes it and Department standards are met, but if you are the one being paid, someone else must serve as Employer of Record. Confirm current rules with Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531. If your parent is a veteran, PCAFC and Veteran-Directed Care are often the more direct route. If you are your parent's legal guardian, you cannot be the paid worker under the CCW.

Can a spouse be paid as a caregiver in Wyoming?

Under Wyoming's Community Choices Waiver (CCW), the Employer of Record may hire a spouse as an employee if the waiver authorizes it and Department standards are met, but a spouse who serves as Employer of Record cannot also be the paid caregiver. Confirm current rules with Wyoming Medicaid at 1-307-777-7531. The waiver also requires that the spouse not be authorized to make financial decisions for the participant, and that the participant need care beyond what a spouse would ordinarily provide. For veteran households, PCAFC lists a spouse among the family members who can be a Family Caregiver. Under VA Veteran-Directed Care, where it is offered, the veteran can hire personal care aides that VA says might include a family member; ask the VA medical center whether a spouse can be hired.

What is the 2026 Aid and Attendance rate?

The VA sets Aid and Attendance as a maximum annual pension rate, not a guaranteed payment. For 2026 (effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026), the rate for a veteran with one dependent is $34,488 a year. For a veteran with no dependents, the rate is $29,093 a year. Surviving spouses with no dependents can reach $18,697 a year. Any monthly payment is that annual ceiling minus countable income, divided by 12 and rounded down to the whole dollar.

Is the PCAFC stipend taxable income?

VA has described it as nontaxable: in the preamble to its March 2020 proposed PCAFC rule, VA called the monthly stipend "a nontaxable benefit." For Medicaid waiver pay, the IRS Notice 2014-7 difficulty-of-care exclusion may apply when the care is given in the caregiver's own home, where the care recipient also lives.

Where to Get Help in Wyoming

Wyoming Medicaid (Division of Healthcare Financing) Helps with CCW eligibility and the rules for hiring a relative or spouse as the paid worker. 1-307-777-7531 health.wyo.gov/healthcarefin/hcbs
Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division Runs Wyoming's National Family Caregiver Support Program through its Community Living Section. 1-800-442-2766 health.wyo.gov/aging
VA Caregiver Support Line Offers help, support and referrals for family caregivers of veterans, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. It is not a crisis line. 1-855-260-3274 www.caregiver.va.gov
Eldercare Locator Refers callers to local agencies and community organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers. 1-800-677-1116 eldercare.acl.gov

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver: The 50-State GuideHow to get paid to care for a family member in 2026: Medicaid self-direction, VA caregiver programs, personal care agreements, plus all 50 state guides. CaregiverHow to Get Paid as a Family Caregiver in WashingtonGet paid to care for a family member in Washington in 2026: Community First Choice individual providers, CDWA, the WA Cares spousal pathway, and VA options. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in WyomingVA Aid and Attendance in Wyoming for 2026: who qualifies, maximum rates up to $34,488 a year, how to apply, and free help from Wyoming service officers. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs and SupportHow to recognize caregiver burnout, why it happens, and what actually helps, from respite care to evidence-based programs like REACH II and Powerful Tools. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house. CaregiverSenior Transportation in Wyoming: How an Older Adult Who No Longer Drives Gets AroundSenior transportation in Wyoming: aging-network rides through your Area Agency on Aging, ADA paratransit, Wyoming Medicaid Travel Assistance, and how to choose.

Find personalized help choosing the right Wyoming paid-caregiver pathway 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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