Nevada Medicaid’s Personal Care Services program pays for help with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living for Medicaid-eligible Nevadans living in the community. Need is established by a Functional Assessment Service Plan completed by an independent physical or occupational therapist, and services require prior authorization.
Nevada Medicaid's Personal Care Services program pays for help with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living so people can keep living in their own homes. It is real, it is used by thousands of Nevadans, and it is means-tested with a clinical assessment gate.
What it covers
Nevada Medicaid's description: assistance with activities of daily living — bathing, dressing and grooming, toileting, transferring and positioning, mobility and ambulation, and eating — and instrumental activities of daily living including light housekeeping, laundry, essential shopping and meal preparation.
What it does not cover. Skilled nursing care, medical case management, specialized feeding, medication administration, respite care, companion care, chore services, transportation, and anything not written into the approved service plan. Several of those are covered under the waiver instead — see the Frail Elderly waiver.
Who qualifies
- Ongoing Medicaid or Nevada Check Up eligibility
- Not living in a hospital, nursing facility, ICF/IID or institution for mental disease
- No available and capable legally responsible individual
- Willing to take part in service planning
- Able to direct their own care, or has a Personal Care Representative
- Services are medically necessary as the state defines it
- Need established by a Functional Assessment Service Plan completed by an enrolled, independent physical or occupational therapist
How to start
For an initial request, the recipient calls Nevada Medicaid's fiscal agent at (800) 525-2395, option 1 then option 4. TTY callers dial 7-1-1 for Relay Nevada. Services require prior authorization, and the functional assessment is done by an independent therapist rather than by the agency that would provide the care — which is a genuine safeguard.
Agency-directed or self-directed
Nevada runs two models. The agency model uses a licensed provider. The self-directed model runs through an Intermediary Service Organization and lets the recipient hire and direct their own caregiver, which for many families means paying someone they already trust. Recipients may request a change between models.
The number that explains why finding a Medicaid agency is hard
| Measure | Figure | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care services (T1019) | $6.25 per 15-minute unit | Nevada Medicaid fee-for-service, statewide | Nevada Medicaid, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, 2024 |
| Personal care services, hourly equivalent | $25.00 an hour | Nevada Medicaid fee-for-service, statewide | Nevada Medicaid, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, 2024 |
| Non-medical caregiver, hourly | $37 an hour | Nevada statewide median | CareScout (Genworth), 2025 |
Nevada Medicaid reimburses $6.25 per 15-minute unit — $25.00 an hour an hour by our arithmetic — while the private-pay median is $37 an hour. That is why many licensed agencies do not enroll as Medicaid providers, and why the ones that do sometimes cannot staff every authorized case. It is not the family's fault and it is not the agency's either. Knowing it up front changes how you search.
Nevada also requires Electronic Visit Verification for personal care services, so expect the caregiver to clock in and out electronically at the home.
Find in-home care that fits — in about 60 seconds
Six quick questions. No cost, no obligation, and we tell you straight if what you need is not what we do.
Got it — thank you.
An advisor will reach out shortly. If you would rather not wait, call (725) 465-8617.
Common questions
Does Nevada Medicaid pay for in-home care?
Yes, through the Personal Care Services program, for eligible recipients living in the community. Need is established by a Functional Assessment Service Plan completed by an independent physical or occupational therapist, and services require prior authorization.
How do I apply for Nevada Medicaid personal care services?
For an initial request the recipient calls Nevada Medicaid's fiscal agent at (800) 525-2395, option 1 then option 4. TTY callers dial 7-1-1 for Relay Nevada.
Why won't some agencies take Medicaid?
Because the published reimbursement is $6.25 per 15-minute unit — $25.00 an hour an hour by our arithmetic — against a private-pay state median of $37 an hour. Many agencies do not enroll as Medicaid providers at that rate.
Sources for this page
- Personal Care Services (PCS) — Nevada Medicaid, 2026.
- Medicaid Services Manual Chapter 3500 — Personal Care Services — Nevada DHCFP, 2024. Effective November 1, 2024.
- Provider Type 30 and 83 Personal Care Services Reimbursement Schedule — Nevada Medicaid, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, 2026. Schedule states it reflects rate data as of 07/2026. T1019 rate begin date 01/01/2024.
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 — state data tables — CareScout (Genworth), 2025. More than 25,000 rates collected from long-term care providers nationwide between July and November 2025. Annual figures assume 44 hours a week for 52 weeks.
Reviewed by the Vegas Senior Advisor care team. Last updated November 11, 2026. Spot something wrong? Call (725) 465-8617 and we will correct it within one business day.
