Care Remedy Is Now a MassHealth Personal Care Management Agency
Care Remedy has been awarded a Massachusetts state contract to serve as a Personal Care Management agency, helping MassHealth members get and self-direct their own personal care attendants.
Care Remedy to perform Personal Care Management functions for the MassHealth Personal Care Attendant program across Massachusetts, from the company's office at 100 TradeCenter, Suite G-700, Woburn.
In plain terms: Care Remedy can now help eligible MassHealth members set up and run the personal care attendant support they are entitled to, at no cost to the member for the management service itself. Here is what that means and how it works.
What the PCA program is
The Personal Care Attendant, or PCA, program is a long-running MassHealth benefit. It lets an eligible member with a chronic or permanent disability hire personal care attendants to help with everyday activities they cannot safely do alone. That includes activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, mobility, eating, toileting, passive range-of-motion exercises, and help taking medications, plus related tasks around the home.
What makes the PCA program different from a traditional agency arrangement is that it is self-directed. The member is the employer. They choose who to hire, often a trusted person or even a family member who qualifies, and they decide how the hours are scheduled. That independence is the point of the program, but it also comes with real responsibilities, and that is where a Personal Care Management agency comes in.
What a Personal Care Management agency does
A PCM agency is the guide and support system around the member. It does not employ the attendants and does not take over the member's decisions. Instead, it makes sure the member can access the program, understands how to run it, and stays in good standing with MassHealth. As a contracted PCM agency, Care Remedy now handles the full set of these functions:
- Responding to a new inquiry and confirming MassHealth eligibility
- Intake and orientation sessions that explain how the program works
- An in-person or virtual evaluation of how much help a member needs
- Collecting the primary care provider form that documents the disabling condition
- Assessing the member's ability to manage attendants, and setting up a surrogate or administrative proxy if one is needed
- Enrolling the member with the fiscal intermediary that handles payroll for attendants
- Explaining Electronic Visit Verification, the timekeeping system attendants use
- Submitting the prior authorization to MassHealth so services can begin
- Ongoing functional skills training and yearly reassessments
The member stays in charge:A PCM agency guides the process and keeps the paperwork right, but the member remains the employer of their attendants. Care Remedy's job is to make self-direction manageable, not to take it away.
Where a surrogate or administrative proxy fits
Not everyone can manage every part of the program alone, and the program is built for that. If a member needs help running their care, a surrogate can manage the attendants on the member's behalf. If a member only needs help with certain administrative tasks, an administrative proxy can step in for those. A member has one or the other, not both. When a member has a legal guardian, or is under 18, a surrogate is required. Care Remedy assesses whether the chosen person can perform the role, and helps the member identify someone if they are not sure who to ask.
What this means for Massachusetts families
For families trying to keep an older or disabled loved one safely at home, the PCA program is one of the most flexible options MassHealth offers, and a good PCM agency is what makes it workable. Care Remedy's role is to shorten the distance between a first phone call and authorized, dependable help. That means clear explanations, prompt scheduling of the required sessions, honest guidance about what MassHealth expects, and steady support after services start, not just at signup.
If you already receive home care, companion support, or accessible transportation from Care Remedy, this adds a MassHealth-funded path to hands-on personal care for those who qualify, so more of a family's needs can be coordinated in one place.
How to get started
Getting started begins with an inquiry. Care Remedy responds within a few business days, confirms MassHealth eligibility, and schedules the first intake and orientation session. From there the team walks the member through the evaluation, the primary care provider form, enrollment with the fiscal intermediary, and the prior authorization, so services can be approved and put in place. If a member is not eligible for the PCA program, Care Remedy can point them toward other options that may fit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Personal Care Management (PCM) agency?
A Personal Care Management agency is a MassHealth-contracted organization that helps eligible members use the Personal Care Attendant program. The agency handles intake and orientation, evaluates how many hours of help a person needs, trains the member to manage their attendants, and submits the paperwork MassHealth requires. The member still hires and directs their own attendants; the PCM agency guides and supports that process.
What is the MassHealth PCA program?
The Personal Care Attendant program lets eligible MassHealth members with a chronic or permanent disability hire personal care attendants to help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, mobility, eating, toileting, and taking medications. It is a self-directed model, which means the member is the employer of their attendants and decides who to hire and how the help is scheduled.
Who is eligible for PCA services?
Eligibility is set by MassHealth. In general, a member needs active MassHealth coverage, a chronic or permanent disability, and a documented need for physical assistance with everyday activities that is confirmed by their primary care provider. A PCM agency confirms eligibility and completes an in-person or virtual evaluation before services are authorized.
What does Care Remedy do as a PCM agency?
Care Remedy responds to inquiries, confirms MassHealth eligibility, completes intake and orientation, evaluates how much help a member needs, helps set up a surrogate or administrative proxy if one is required, enrolls the member with the fiscal intermediary, explains the Electronic Visit Verification timekeeping system, submits the prior authorization to MassHealth, and provides ongoing skills training and reassessments.
What is a surrogate or administrative proxy?
If a member cannot fully manage their attendants on their own, a surrogate can manage the care on their behalf, and an administrative proxy can handle specific administrative tasks like paperwork. A member has one or the other, not both. For a member with a legal guardian or a member under 18, a surrogate is required. Care Remedy assesses whether the chosen person can perform the role.
How do I get started with Care Remedy for PCA services?
Contact Care Remedy to start an inquiry. The team responds within a few business days, confirms MassHealth eligibility, and schedules the first intake and orientation session. From there Care Remedy guides you through the evaluation, the primary care provider form, and enrollment so services can be authorized. You can begin by booking a consultation on the Care Remedy website.
Talk to Care Remedy about PCA services
If you or a family member has MassHealth and needs help with everyday activities at home, Care Remedy can walk you through whether the Personal Care Attendant program is a fit and how to get started.
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