A program most families have never heard of
Most families we talk to have no idea this program exists. They assume private home care is something you either pay for entirely yourself or go without.
There is a middle path. Client Directed Home Care Invoicing, usually shortened to CDHCI, is an Alberta Health Services program that lets approved home care clients choose their own care provider. You pick the agency. You control the schedule. Your chosen care provider direct bills for approved services. Alberta Blue Cross pays the provider directly for your approved services.
Better Way Home Care is a registered CDHCI provider. If Alberta Health Services has approved you for publicly funded home care, you can choose us as your provider, and we will handle direct billing for the hours covered under your care plan.
How CDHCI works, step by step
The program is simpler than it sounds. Here is the whole path from first call to first visit. Your AHS case manager stays involved and reviews your needs as they change.
Two honest notes on cost
Alberta Blue Cross pays Better Way direct bills for your approved hours, up to the maximum hourly rate the program sets. Our rate is slightly higher than that maximum, so you are responsible only for the difference. For approved hours that typically works out to as little as $9 per hour out of pocket.
Anything outside the program is billed separately, and we will always tell you which is which before care begins. That includes extra private-pay hours beyond what you are approved for, outings or activities outside the home, mileage, and supplies.
Call Health Link at 811
Ask for a home care assessment. An AHS case manager will meet with you or your family member to look at what kind of support is needed.
The case manager assesses eligibility and hours
AHS decides who qualifies and how many care hours are approved each month. That decision belongs to AHS, not to any care agency, and it is based on a standardized provincial assessment.
You sign the CDHCI agreement
If the case manager confirms CDHCI is a good fit, you sign a Letter of Agreement and you will receive an approval letter in the mail with your authorized hours.
You choose your provider
This is the part that makes CDHCI different. You choose any provider on the program's registered provider list. You are never assigned a stranger, and you can switch providers at any time.
Care starts, and the paperwork is ours
We build your care plan, schedule your visits, and invoice the program directly. You never submit claims or receipts. Your only cost for approved hours is the small hourly difference between our rate and the program maximum, explained before care begins.
What can be included
CDHCI funds three categories of care. It also serves clients with end-of-life care needs; see our palliative care page. If you are not sure which path fits your family, call us. We will explain the difference in plain language, and if CDHCI is not right for your situation, we will say so.
Personal care
Help with the private, essential parts of the day: bathing, dressing, toileting, moving safely around the home, help at mealtimes, and support with medications.
Respite care
Scheduled breaks for the family members who carry the caregiving load the rest of the time. See our respite care page.
Homemaking
Health-related housekeeping and laundry. Under program rules, homemaking is provided alongside personal care or respite rather than on its own.
A related program: Self-Managed Care
A separate AHS program that gives families funds to hire and manage caregivers directly, including payroll. Some families want that control. Most prefer CDHCI, where the agency handles hiring, training, scheduling, backup coverage, and billing.
Who can be your paid caregiver
Your care is provided by Better Way's trained team members. Under CDHCI rules, immediate family cannot be paid to provide it. That includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or in-law, and anyone who lives in the same home.
Approved hours reset each month
Your approved hours renew on the first of each month, and unused hours do not carry over. It is worth using your full monthly allotment to support your care goals.
What you get when you direct your care to Better Way
CDHCI is designed for people who live in their own home in the community and want more say in who provides their care. It is not available to residents of lodges, group homes, or assisted and supportive living facilities.
The same faces on a reliable schedule
You see the same caregivers, you know when they are coming, and visits are long enough to do the work and have a real conversation.
A caregiver matched to the person, not just the shift
Before we match a caregiver to a client we listen to who you are: your routines, your interests, how you like to communicate.
A written care plan before the first visit
It covers more than tasks. If a weekly coffee outing matters, it goes on the plan.
Billing handled start to finish
We direct bill Alberta Blue Cross for eligible services. No receipts to chase, no claims to submit.
You stay in control
Under CDHCI you can change providers at any time. We think that accountability is good for everyone.
what our clients are saying...
Not sure where to start? Start with a conversation.
Call us at 403-967-1919. We will explain how CDHCI works, help you understand whether it might fit your situation, and point you to Health Link at 811 to begin your AHS assessment. No pressure and no obligation, just straight answers.
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