Am I eligible for this program?
If you...
Have Medicaid
Live in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area
Need help with day-to-day activities
Able to direct your own care/services
Are 18 years or older
You are likely eligible. Due to government regulations, Medicare is NOT enough.
Who can I hire
as a caregiver?
Child
Relative
Friend
Legal Spouse
Where is FreedomCare available?
FreedomCare is currently available in the St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield areas.
It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties:
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YES. This program is ONLY for Medicaid recipients, without exception. Medicare is not enough.
Only if she has Medicaid too (Medicare is NOT enough).
Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a low income. Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 and older or have a severe disability, no matter your income.
Yes! As long as you have Medicaid, you are eligible to apply.
No. You need Medicaid.
If you pay your Medicaid spend-down each month, you can join the program.
An agency caregiver is hired and employed by a home care agency. A CDS caregiver is hired by the patient themselves - and they are generally a family member or friend of the patient.
At FreedomCare, we can help you hire an aide through the CDS program.
If you...
- are not eligible for the CDS program
- don't have a family member/friend who can care for you
- prefer to hire an aide through our home care agency,
we can help you too: call us now at 816.542.0770
If you need help with activities of daily living — like shopping, cleaning, bathing, and grooming — there’s a good chance you’re eligible. A Medicaid nurse and/or a nurse from your plan will visit you at home to determine (a) if you’re eligible and (b) how many weekly hours of care you can get.
No. If a person has Medicaid and needs care, they can qualify.
In general, FreedomCare and regular home care are mutually exclusive. The patient must choose one program and go with that program for all their care. Also, FreedomCare will not add hours to a member’s plan of care. For example, if your parent is approved for 3 days of care, they can get 3 days of care — through FreedomCare OR home care, not both.
Yes — if he has Medicaid and needs care.
Yes — if she has Medicaid and needs care.
Yes, if your sister is physically disabled but can still manage her own care, she may be eligible.
You’ll get paid $11 per hour.
You can work a maximum of 40 hours per week. The exact number will depend on:
i. Nurse's assessment of the patient.
ii. Patient preference. The patient can choose to hire you for all the approved hours, or just a portion.
No. You will get paid as a caregiver for whatever hours you worked.
You’ll get paid every Friday — guaranteed. (As long as you submitted your hours properly, of course!) Our caregivers appreciate that their payments come in like clockwork; no exceptions.
You’ll get a weekly salary every Friday by direct deposit, check, or pay card (provided at no cost).
No, CDS does not allow for overtime.
Yes, but you’ll need to split the hours. For example, if Mom qualifies for 19 hours per week and Dad qualifies for 20 hours per week, you can work in the home for 39 hrs and be paid for 39 hours. The hours will be split between Mom and Dad.
See question above. You can add their hours together and work all the hours, but you will never get paid double per hour.
No - not if you are legally married to your spouse.
As you work, you’ll accrue up to 5 paid sick days each year.
No, we are unable to reimburse travel expenses on this program.
Hours are flexible, so your loved one can coordinate with you to make a schedule that works for both.
We have a special app for caregivers, so you can clock in and out on your phone. No paperwork, no timesheets — it’s fast and simple.
That’s why our 80+ dedicated staff members are here. Our average phone wait time is 11 seconds, so if you ever have a problem, just pick up the phone — you can expect a helpful, professional resolution immediately.
We encourage every patient to sign up at least 2 caregivers. This way, if you cannot care for your loved one on a particular day, your back-up caregiver can step in.
And if you need coverage for a longer period of time, contact us at 816.542.0770. We can utilize a different division outside the CDS program to get your loved one a dedicated home aide.
No worries; as you work, you’ll accrue up to 5 paid sick days each year.
FreedomCare does not offer outside aides under CDS — but you can avoid this conflict if the patient signs up more than one caregiver.
If you need coverage for a longer period of time, contact us at 816.542.0770. We can utilize a different division outside the CDS program to get your loved one a dedicated home aide.
Your son, daughter, grandchild, relative, friend or existing home attendant — anyone except your
• Legal spouse
• Parent (if you are under 21).
Yes, as long as she has Medicaid and lives in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area ( It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties: Adair, Atchison, Butler, Carter, Clark, Dunklin, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Putnam, Randolph, Ribley, Schulyer, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Wayne).
Only if he is over 21 years of age. Parents cannot be caregivers for children under 21.
No — not if you are his legal spouse. Legal spouses cannot serve as caregivers for each
other in this program.
Yes, as long as they have Medicaid and live in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area ( It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties: Adair, Atchison, Butler, Carter, Clark, Dunklin, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Putnam, Randolph, Ribley, Schulyer, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Wayne).
Yes, as long as she has Medicaid and lives in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area ( It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties: Adair, Atchison, Butler, Carter, Clark, Dunklin, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Putnam, Randolph, Ribley, Schulyer, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Wayne).
Yes! You can be a caregiver if you are 18 years or older.
Yes, as long as you have valid work authorization.
Yes! Consumers and caregivers can reside in the same home.
No, if you are your mother's POA, you cannot be her caregiver through CDS.
Yes, as long as the aide is willing to join CDS.
Yes, as long as you can put in the hours needed.
Yes. We pre-screen caregivers to match with patients who do not have a relative or friend to use as their caregiver.
However, the patient will still need to interview you and make the final decision as to whether you will be their caregiver.
Nope! No certifications; no prior training. You just need to be a capable person who wants to care for someone they love.
It’s possible you could still be a caregiver. Not every misdemeanor disqualifies you as a caregiver.
If you are 18 or older and authorized to work in the US, you can get approved! You’ll need to get a TB shot, sign some paperwork, and show your ID. No need to travel to our office — we’ll come to the patient’s house!
No, but you will need to get a TB shot.
Here are the steps:
1 - CALL. You’ll call us at 816.542.0770. One of our intake representatives will help you get started on obtaining authorization from the patient’s Medicaid insurance.
2 - FORMS. We’ll send you some forms, including a nurse assessment and medical forms, to be completed by the patient’s doctor.
3 - IN-HOUSE VISIT. One of our onboarding field specialists will conduct an in-home orientation with both the patient and the caregiver, ensuring that all parties involved understand the process and responsibility.
4 - WELCOME ABOARD! A member of our welcoming team will welcome the patient into the program, give a username and password for our app, trigger caregiver payroll, set the caregiver schedule, and introduce the care team coordinator. You are all set for loving care to begin!
It can take between 2 to 6 weeks, depending on how quickly the State sends approval.
Nope! You’ll email or fax the necessary forms, and we’ll come to you for the orientation.
You can visit our MO office (1301 Oak Street Suite 506, Kansas City, MO 64106) by appointment only. But if you don’t live nearby, no worries: you don’t have to come into our office to sign up.
You can email them to: info@freedomcaremo.com or fax them to: 816.542.0770.
Your son, daughter, grandchild, relative, friend or existing home attendant — anyone except your
• Legal spouse
• Parent (if you are under 21).
Yes! Consumers and caregivers can reside in the same home.
No! This is a Medicaid-funded program; you will not pay anything.
No — not if they are your legal spouse. Legal spouses cannot serve as caregivers for each other in this program.
Yes, the CDS by FreedomCare program is instead of traditional homecare.
Nothing! This is a Medicaid-funded program; you will not pay anything.
Our program is funded by Medicaid. Medicaid will pay your daughter to care for you during the time allotted to you by your Medicaid insurance company.
Yes! Call us now at 816.542.0770 and we’ll show you how.
Yes, it's simple! You need to ask your current provider for your EIN, and then contact the State and request a provider change to FreedomCare. The State will process your request.
No — this program is only available in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area ( It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties: Adair, Atchison, Butler, Carter, Clark, Dunklin, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Putnam, Randolph, Ribley, Schulyer, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Wayne).
FreedomCare is available in the Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield area ( It is NOT available outside of Missouri or in the following Missouri counties: Adair, Atchison, Butler, Carter, Clark, Dunklin, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Mercer, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Putnam, Randolph, Ribley, Schulyer, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Wayne).
Medicaid pays for this program; it is free for all members.
If you are Medicaid-eligible, you can hire a family member or friend to take care of you, and FreedomCare will pay your caregiver through the state’s CDS program.
This is likely fine. Please call us at 816.542.0770 to discuss the details of your situation.
In general, a patient cannot get FreedomCare AND regular home care. He must choose one program and go with that program for all their care. Also, FreedomCare will not add hours to a member’s plan of care. For example, if you are approved for 20 hours per week of care, you can get 20 hours of care — through FreedomCare OR home care, not a combination.
We cannot add hours to your mom’s existing allotment; we can only allow you to take over existing hours of home care.
If your mom prefers to get care in the late afternoon/evenings (for example 5-9 pm)
and it works better for you, that’s fine.
Your mom's care plan outlines specific authorized duties to take place during the service hours. Overnight care would not be approved unless there are specific hours approved for respite care.
Go to play store / app store and search “FreedomCare Plus.” Press install. When installation is complete, press open. Review and grant the app the requested permissions.
Log in with the username and password given during your start-of-care phone call. If you don’t have that information, please contact your care coordinator.
Go to ess.adspays.com. Use your username and password to log in. If you don’t have that
information, please contact your care coordinator.
Please contact your coordinator — they will look into it and help you work things out.
No. But the app should work for you on any phone or tablet — it doesn’t have to be yours.
You may be eligible!
Fill out this form to see if you’re a candidate.
Can't stand forms? Call us now at (816) 542-0770
you can expect a helpful representative in 11 seconds or less.
FreedomCare is available in most counties in Kansas City, St.Louis and Springfield area.
“Her face lit up”
I was in between jobs, looking for a new one. I thought: ‘What’s going to happen to my mom while I️’m at work all day? When I told her I’d be caring for her every day, her face lit up. It was a thrilling moment for me.
“Not a stranger”
I like that I have someone I know helping me — not a stranger, who would have to get to know my likes and dislikes. The staff is courteous and friendly, and they always answer my questions.
“It's a win-win”
I’m an entrepreneur. Being there for my mom did not allow me to generate the income I needed, so getting financial assistance while taking care of her is a win-win.
“A blessing”
I have multiple sclerosis. After my second hospitalization, I realized I needed help. To have my best friend be here for me is a blessing. My caseworker, Ashley, is very helpful — I feel comfortable calling anytime. And having someone I trust work for me keeps my mind at ease.
