How much does a host home provider get paid in Texas?

Who pays a host home provider in Texas?

The HCS program provider does. HHSC pays the program provider for host home/companion care at a daily rate set by the individual's level of need (LON), and the program provider pays the host home provider, who is its staff member or contractor.

Under 26 TAC §263.601, HHSC pays the program provider, not the host. The HCS Program Billing Requirements define a service provider as a staff member, contractor, or volunteer of the program provider, so the host's pay is set by their employment or contract terms.

We found no HHSC rule that sets a percentage of the rate the program provider must pass to the host home provider, in the billing requirements or in 26 TAC Chapters 263 and 565. Ask any agency you talk to for the pay in writing, per day and per level of need.

For who can be a host home provider and what the home needs, see our host home requirements guide.

What is the HCS host home daily rate in 2026?

On the HCS rate table effective Sept. 1, 2025, which the HHSC Provider Finance Department still lists as current in October 2026, host home/companion care (service code 18A) pays $72.56 a day at LON 1, $76.14 at LON 5, $94.07 at LON 8, $119.18 at LON 6, and $147.84 at LON 9.

The unit is one day. Each total is the sum of a direct care part and an indirect care part on the table. Rates change, so check the current HCS rate table before you budget or sign an agreement.

Is the direct care amount what the host gets?

Not necessarily. Some websites quote the direct care column, $47.24 to $124.06 a day, as host home pay. That column is a cost part of HHSC's rate model, not an amount HHSC requires the program provider to pass to the host.

Under 1 TAC §355.723, the host home/companion care rate is built from a direct care worker part, a host home/companion care coordinator part, administration, and a facility part. The whole daily rate is meant to cover those costs together, so the host's pay is one part of it, set by the agreement.

When you compare figures online, check the date of the rate table a page quotes, because HHSC publishes a new table whenever rates change.

How much is that per month?

At the full daily rate, 30 billable days come to about $2,177 at LON 1 and $4,435 at LON 9, paid to the program provider. The host's monthly pay is whatever share their agreement sets, plus room and board paid by the individual.

Multiply the daily rate by the days that can be billed. At LON 1, $72.56 times 30 days is $2,176.80. At LON 9, $147.84 times 30 days is $4,435.20. Days the individual is in the hospital, for example, are not billable, so a real month can be lower.

How does room and board work in a host home?

The individual, or their legally authorized representative, signs a written residential agreement with the host home provider and pays room and board. Under 26 TAC §565.27, the program provider may not charge or collect room and board for host home/companion care.

There is one exception: the program provider may get back money it advanced while the individual's benefits were pending.

If the program provider manages the individual's money, it pays the host home provider directly from the individual's account. Section 565.27 caps room and board at the host's cost, figured the way it is for a three- or four-person residence and divided by the number of people living in the host's home.

Which days can be billed?

A day can be billed when host home/companion care was provided when needed during the day. A family or friend visit of at least a calendar day can be billed for up to 14 consecutive days, with documentation. Days the individual is an inpatient in a hospital, nursing facility, or ICF/IID are not paid.

Under Section 4550 of the HCS Program Billing Requirements, the visit record needs the individual's name, the visit dates, and the host home provider's signature and date. Past 14 consecutive days of a visit, only 14 can be billed.

Under 26 TAC §263.601, HHSC does not pay for a service given while the individual is an inpatient, or on the day services are suspended or end. Each billed day also needs its service log, which our HCS billing documentation guide explains.

Is host home provider pay taxable?

It may not be. IRS Notice 2014-7 lets certain Medicaid waiver payments for care given in the caregiver's own home be excluded from federal income, including payments from a certified Medicaid provider. A host home can fit that description, but ask a tax professional about your own situation.

The IRS limits the exclusion to care for up to 10 individuals under age 19 or 5 individuals age 19 or older living in the caregiver's home, and its questions and answers say the care must be given in the caregiver's own home. Room and board paid by the individual is a separate matter.

This section is general information, not tax advice.

How does Sereniq support host homes?

Sereniq supports HCS Host Home/Companion Care with Host Home as its own service type, a host home provider role, the weekly Form 4122 service log, and an optional Form 3092 MAR. Host home providers keep their driver's license, car insurance, and pet vaccination records current from the phone.

There is no shift schedule or clock-in for host home providers. An agency can also turn on daily notes for host homes, with reminders when a day's note is owed. See the Form 4122 host home log and host home software.

Sereniq keeps the records behind each billed day. It does not set host pay, calculate rates, or submit claims.