The Commonwealth decides eligibility
Medicaid enrollment, waiver slots, and program eligibility are determined by Virginia agencies, health plans, and program administrators. Not by us.
How it works
From first question
to supported care.
Five steps, a Care Navigator to help, and a clear view of what depends on your family, the assessment, and Virginia Medicaid authorization.
The path most families take.
Here is who acts at each step, what your family provides, and which decisions must be confirmed before care begins. Timing depends on the program, assessment, and authorization.
- 01
Check Eligibility
Your family completes the short screening or speaks with a Care Navigator. Share a ZIP code, age range, broad daily care needs, current coverage, and your relationship to the person receiving care. This first step is not an eligibility decision.
- 02
Review Medicaid and Waiver Information
First Choice reviews your Virginia Medicaid, health-plan, waiver, and existing authorization information. Tell us what you know; “unsure” is a useful starting point. We explain how to share any required documents through an appropriate handoff.
- 03
Nursing Assessment and Care Plan
The appropriate nursing assessment and care-planning process identifies personal-care needs. Your family explains what hands-on help is needed each day. The responsible program or health plan decides service authorization and hours; approval is not guaranteed.
- 04
Caregiver Employment and Onboarding
When eligible and approved, the caregiver completes First Choice employment requirements, required training, and electronic visit verification setup. Confirm the current employment terms, pay, documentation, and timekeeping requirements before starting.
- 05
Begin Authorized Care
The caregiver begins approved services and records the care provided. First Choice supports payroll, documentation, RN oversight, and Medicaid billing as applicable to the arrangement. Care must stay within the authorized tasks, hours, and plan.
Already approved?
Already have Virginia Medicaid and approved personal-care hours? Tell us. Your process may be much simpler.
Tell us whether you are starting care or transferring from another agency, and whether hours are already approved. Do not upload records or send clinical details through an ordinary public contact form.
A few minutesThat is all the preliminary check asks of you
What to have on hand before you start.
Nothing formal, and no documents to upload. The preliminary check asks about the situation, not the paperwork. If you are unsure of an answer, say so and we will sort it out on the call.
You do not need a Social Security number, Medicaid member number, date of birth, medical records, or a detailed diagnosis for this step.
Where care happensThe ZIP code of the person receiving care; no street address needed for screening
Who needs supportTheir age and the daily help they need
Current coverageVirginia Medicaid, a waiver, or an existing authorization
Who is helping nowYour relationship, and whether anyone is already paid
Who decides what
We guide the process. We do not approve it.
This is the part families most often misunderstand, so it is worth being direct about it. Knowing where the decisions actually get made saves a great deal of frustration later.
First Choice Home Care does not make Medicaid or waiver eligibility decisions. Final approval comes from the appropriate Virginia agencies, health plans, and program administrators.
Assessors decide the level of care
Authorized services and hours come from an assessment and the resulting individual service plan, run by the responsible program or care coordinator.
We help you navigate it
We screen for fit, explain what a program expects, help gather what is required, and follow up so paperwork does not stall in the middle.
We deliver the approved care
Once services and the care arrangement are authorized, we help put the approved plan into practice and explain the ongoing documentation and support.
Questions about the process.
How long does the preliminary check take?
The online questions take a few minutes. What happens after that depends on the program, the assessment schedule, and how quickly required documentation comes together, so we avoid quoting a timeline we cannot control.
Does completing the check mean we qualify?
No. The check helps us understand whether a program may be worth exploring and what to verify next. Eligibility decisions rest with the Virginia agencies, health plans, and program administrators responsible for them.
What happens after I submit the form?
When the system accepts your submission, it shows a confirmation and reference number for your records. The information is available for our team to review. Call 571-325-2340 with your reference number to confirm the next step. If the form reports an error, use its recovery option or call.
Can a family member be the paid caregiver?
In some Virginia Medicaid programs, yes. It depends on the program, the caregiver relationship, the assessed needs, and the service authorization. Our paid family caregivers page covers what that involves.
Which areas do you serve?
Serving Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Arlington County, the City of Alexandria and the City of Falls Church. Ask our team to confirm availability for your service and location.
Start with the first step.
Answer a few questions to help our team understand the care you are looking for.