When you enroll in Michigan’s Home Help program, you’ll make a structural choice most families don’t realize exists: serve as an individual provider — directly enrolled with the state through CHAMPS — or provide care through a Home Help agency. The care is the same. The pay mechanics, tax handling, and support around you are not.
At a Glance
– Individual providers are paid the state rate — $17.13/hour in 2026 — directly, and handle their own enrollment, EVV, and taxes.
– Agencies are reimbursed at a higher rate by the state, but part covers agency overhead; the caregiver’s wage is set by the agency.
– Agencies typically handle payroll, tax withholding, EVV troubleshooting, and paperwork — real value for many families.
– Individual providers keep the full rate but are treated more like independent workers: CHAMPS enrollment, EVV compliance, and tax filing are on you.
– Neither path changes your loved one’s approved hours — the county assessment sets those either way.
How Individual Providers Work
As an individual provider, you enroll directly with MDHHS: CHAMPS registration, a background check, and EVV setup. Payment comes at the full individual rate — $13.73 base plus the $3.40 supplement, $17.13 total in 2026 — for every authorized hour you log.
The trade: nobody stands between you and the state, which also means nobody stands between you and the state’s paperwork. Enrollment errors delay first payments; EVV mistakes create claim rejections; and at tax time you’re navigating IRS Notice 2014-7 questions yourself. Plenty of caregivers handle this fine — especially with guided setup — and keep the full rate for their trouble.
How Agency Enrollment Works
A Home Help agency employs caregivers and bills the state at the agency reimbursement rate, which is higher than the individual rate because it carries the agency’s obligations: payroll and withholding, workers’ comp, scheduling, EVV administration, supervision, and compliance. The caregiver receives a wage set by the agency — sometimes below the $17.13 individual rate once overhead is accounted for, sometimes competitive with it when agencies compete for caregivers.
Some Michigan agencies specifically hire the family’s chosen caregiver as an agency employee — you still care for your own mother, but as a W-2 employee with payroll taxes handled, a supervisor to call, and no CHAMPS maze.
The Honest Comparison
| Individual provider | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly pay | Full $17.13 state rate | Agency-set wage (varies) |
| Enrollment burden | Yours (CHAMPS, background, EVV) | Agency handles most of it |
| Taxes | You manage (2014-7 exclusion possible) | W-2 withholding handled |
| Support if something breaks | County/state phone trees | Agency staff |
| Speed | Depends on your paperwork accuracy | Often faster onboarding |
| Independence | Full | Employee obligations apply |
Key Takeaway: Choose individual enrollment if maximizing the hourly rate matters most and you have (or hire) guidance for the paperwork. Choose an agency if you’d trade a slice of the rate for someone else carrying payroll, compliance, and troubleshooting.
Where Mozyne Fits
Mozyne’s model is built to give you the best of both: guided enrollment and setup — eligibility, Medicaid, CHAMPS, EVV — so the paperwork doesn’t eat your first two months, plus what no agency or solo path includes: 1:1 caregiver coaching, 24/7 AI support, peer community, and dementia-specialized training after you’re paid. How it works end to end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my loved one get more hours through an agency?
No — approved hours come from the county assessment of your loved one’s needs, regardless of provider type.
Can I switch from agency to individual (or back)?
Yes. Provider changes are allowed; there’s a transition process so care hours aren’t interrupted. Time it around a clean billing period.
Is agency pay always lower?
Not always — agency wages vary and some run promotions or benefits that narrow the gap. Ask any agency the actual hourly wage, in writing, before enrolling.
Who pays me as an individual provider?
The state, for authorized hours logged through EVV, after your CHAMPS enrollment is approved. The CHAMPS process, step by step.
What to Do Next
Pick the structure after you know you qualify — the free eligibility check comes first, and we’ll walk you through the provider decision with real numbers for your situation.