Understanding what disqualifies a family from Home Help is often more useful than understanding what qualifies them — it tells you exactly what to check before you invest weeks waiting on an assessment. Here are the reasons applications get denied, or approved hours later get reduced or lost, and what's actually fixable in each case.
1. Countable assets exceed the limit
Home Help is a Medicaid benefit, so Medicaid's financial eligibility rules apply first. For 2026, the countable asset limit is $9,950 for a single applicant and $14,910 for a married couple. Assets over this threshold are the single most common reason otherwise-qualified applicants get denied. It's worth noting that a primary home is generally exempt up to $752,000 in equity when the applicant or their spouse lives there, and certain other assets — one vehicle, personal belongings, some burial arrangements — are typically excluded from the count. See our full eligibility page for the details.
2. The functional need doesn't meet the threshold
This is the second most common reason. MDHHS is specifically looking for genuine hands-on assistance with at least one Activity of Daily Living — bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility, eating, or grooming. A loved one who needs reminders, encouragement, or occasional check-ins, but who can physically perform these tasks independently, generally won't meet the threshold on supervision alone. That said, once a hands-on ADL need is established, supervision needs can add to total approved hours — they just can't qualify a case by themselves.
3. The caregiver relationship is excluded for that specific case
Not every relationship is eligible to be paid under self-direction for a given recipient. As a general rule, spouses and parents of minor children receiving care are typically excluded from being paid caregivers for that specific family member under the program's self-direction rules. This doesn't disqualify the care recipient from the program itself — it just means a different caregiver, or the agency-employment path, needs to be used instead.
4. Medicaid enrollment isn't in place
Home Help assessments generally aren't scheduled until Medicaid enrollment is confirmed. If an application stalls here, it's almost always a Medicaid enrollment issue rather than a Home Help-specific one, and it's worth resolving that step first.
5. Losing hours after approval: EVV noncompliance
This one applies after approval, not before. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a federal requirement for billing Home Help visits — caregivers check in and out through a mobile app at each visit. Missed or inconsistent EVV check-ins can create billing problems that put paid hours at risk, even when the care itself was provided. Our EVV explainer covers exactly how this works.
6. Incomplete or inconsistent assessment information
Because the MDHHS-5534 assessment is what documents approved hours, describing a typical day inaccurately — understating real struggles, or focusing only on good days — can result in fewer approved hours than the situation actually warrants. Being specific and honest about hands-on needs during the in-person visit matters more than most families expect.
What to do if you were denied
A denial isn't always final. If your family's situation has changed, or if you believe the original assessment didn't fully capture the level of need, a reassessment can be requested. If cost is the barrier because of assets slightly over the limit, it's worth discussing your specific numbers during a free consultation — every household's situation is different, and some cases have more flexibility than families initially assume.
Check current rules before you act. Home Help requirements, forms, and payment procedures can change. Use MDHHS Home Help guidance as the final source for current program details.