Personal Assistance Services (PAS)

What are Personal Assistance Services?
Financial help for Personal Assistance Services
Paying your personal assistant

What are Personal Assistance Services?

Personal Assistance Services consist of one or more persons assisting another person with tasks which that individual would typically do if he or she did not have a disability. People with disabilities use Personal Assistance Services (PAS) to carry on all of the normal activities a person does during the course of a day. Examples include: getting up from bed, bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, meal preparation, eating, house cleaning, laundry, transferring or moving about, shopping, going to the doctor, taking medicine, etc.

Hiring a personal assistant who will best meet your needs, planning for payment and learning how to supervise are important considerations if you are interested in arranging for personal assistance services.

Personal Assistance Services may be arranged through a number of different funding sources. The Michigan Jobs Commission - Rehabilitation Services can assist you in paying for your personal assistant if you need an assistant in order to keep or maintain employment.

Financial Help for Personal Assistance Services

If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and/or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), you may count Personal Assistance Services as an Impairment-Related Work Expense if the services are performed in your employment setting or performed while are preparing for or traveling to or form work. If you are receiving SSI, Medicaid may pay for personal assistance services. If you are receiving SSDI only, you may be able to write a Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS), so that you may become eligible for SSI and Medicaid. There is additional information on PASS available from the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Your Personal Assistance Services may be funded by Medicaid if you meet Medicaid eligibility requirements. However, if you are not eligible for Medicaid, you may qualify for personal assistance services through Medicaid's special spend down provisions.

If you are not eligible for Personal Assistance Services through Medicaid, or you are on a waiting list for Medicaid services, and are working or have a firm offer of employment, you may be eligible for up to $750 a month through the Personal Assistance Services or PAS program. The PAS program is funded by the Michigan Jobs Commission - Rehabilitation Services (MJC-RS). If you have been an MJC-RS client, your MJC-RS services must be completed and your ability to continue working must depend on your receiving PAS funds. Fund for this program are very limited. Your MJC-RS counselor will discuss availability with you.

Paying Your Personal Assistant

When choosing a method of paying for your personal assistant, you should consider which payment option gives you the right amount of flexibility to manage your personal assistant, how much record keeping will be required, and what your liability will be. There are two different options:

Under the direct pay method, which means you select and pay your personal assistant directly, using your own funds or funds from another source, you will have control over hiring and managing your personal assistant. However, you will have to arrange for coverage if your personal assistant is unavailable. You will also have to deal with tax and insurance issues which are complex and confusing. A knowledgeable advocate or attorney can help you.

Agency services, which mean contracting with an agency that specializes in proving Personal Assistance Services, can free you from dealing with taxes and insurance. Also, most agencies guarantee that a personal assistant will be available to you during the hours covered in the contract. In addition, some agencies will give you the opportunity to select your personal assistant. Under a contract, however, you will lose a certain amount of control in hiring and managing the personal assistant. The higher cost of this type of service can also be a drawback.

You can also use a combination of payment options.

For instance, you could hire your own personal assistant and contract with an agency to cover weekends, holidays, or as a backup in case of emergencies.

When you hire a personal assistant, you become the manager of an employee. Some things to consider in preparation for this responsibility are:

Improving your skills in selecting, hiring and firing a personal assistant.
Considering what your expectations are of your personal assistant.
Determining the number of hours and types of services that you will need.
Determining how you will pay for the service.
Maintaining tax and payroll records.
Planning for backup system if your personal assistant is unavailable because of illness, vacation, or quits.

As an employer of a personal assistant, you'll want to consult these important resources:

Complying with Wage and Hour Regulations, Prepared by: Michigan Assisted Living Association 1-800-482-0118.
Wage and Hour Handbook, Prepared by: American Network of Community Options and Resources (703) 642-6614.