Medicaid Home Care in Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery Counties PA

If your family lives in the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia — Bucks, Chester, Delaware, or Montgomery County — you have access to the same Medicaid home care programs as families inside the city. The same Community HealthChoices system, the same MCOs, the same Participant-Directed Services pathway, and the same option to hire a family member as a paid caregiver. You’re all part of the same CHC Southeast Zone.

But suburban families face a few wrinkles that Philadelphia families don’t. Provider networks thin out as you move away from the city center. Local resources differ from county to county. And many suburban families don’t even realize that Medicaid home care applies to them — they associate these programs with urban poverty, not with their own aging parents in Doylestown or Bryn Mawr or Media.

This guide is for those families.

You’re in the Same CHC Zone as Philadelphia

Pennsylvania’s Community HealthChoices program divides the state into zones for managed care administration. The
Southeast Zone covers five counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery. All five share the same three MCOs — AmeriHealth Caritas, Keystone First CHC, and PA Health & Wellness — and the same core program structure.

This means everything that applies to Philadelphia families in the other posts in this series applies to your family too. The eligibility rules are the same. The functional assessment process is the same. Participant-Directed Services and Agency with Choice work identically.

The difference is in the local infrastructure around the programs — who you call, where you go, and which resources are available in your specific county.

County-by-County Resources

Bucks County

The Bucks County Area Agency on Aging serves as the local point of contact for aging services and can assist with information about CHC enrollment, functional assessments, and home care options. They’re located in Doylestown and can be reached at (215) 348-0510.

Bucks County has a mix of suburban and rural areas, and families in upper Bucks (Quakertown, Perkasie) may find that some home care agencies have a smaller footprint there compared to lower Bucks (Bensalem, Levittown) or the Philadelphia border towns. If you’re choosing the Participant-Directed Services route and hiring a family member, the geographic coverage of traditional agencies becomes less relevant — your caregiver is already in the home.

The Chester County Department of Aging Services provides information, referrals, and support for home care programs. They can be reached at (610) 344-6350 and serve the entire county including West Chester, Coatesville, Downingtown, Phoenixville, and Kennett Square.

Chester County has some of the highest household incomes in Pennsylvania, which leads many families to assume their loved one won’t qualify for Medicaid. This assumption is often wrong. Medicaid eligibility for long-term care has its own rules, separate from standard Medicaid. A retired parent living on Social Security and a small pension may very well qualify, especially with Pennsylvania’s provisions for Special Income Trusts and spousal impoverishment protections. Don’t self-disqualify — run the numbers or have CareChoice help you assess eligibility.

Delaware County

The Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) is the Area Agency on Aging for Delco. Located in Media, they can be reached at (610) 490-1300. COSA provides aging services, caregiver support, and referrals for Medicaid home care programs.

Delaware County’s proximity to Philadelphia means provider networks are generally strong, and families in communities like Upper Darby, Drexel Hill, Springfield, and Havertown have good access to home care services. For families in more western parts of the county (Chadds Ford, Concordville), the traditional agency footprint may be thinner — again, PDS with a family caregiver sidesteps this issue entirely.

Montgomery County

The Montgomery County Office of Aging and Adult Services handles aging services for the county and can be reached at (610) 278-3601. They serve communities from Norristown and Conshohocken to King of Prussia, Lansdale, and Abington.

Montgomery County has a large senior population and a well-developed aging services infrastructure. Many families here are already connected to senior centers, adult day programs, and community health services. The AAA can help families understand how these existing resources connect to the CHC system and Medicaid home care.

Why Suburban Families Miss These Programs

Philadelphia has a high concentration of Medicaid-enrolled households, and awareness of programs like CHC and PDS tends to be higher in communities where Medicaid is common. In the suburban counties, three misconceptions keep families from exploring programs they’re entitled to.

“We make too much money for Medicaid.” Long-term care Medicaid eligibility is different from standard Medicaid. The income and asset thresholds for home care services are more generous than many families realize, and Pennsylvania’s Special Income Trust option can make eligibility possible even when income exceeds the standard limit. An 80-year-old parent with Social Security income and modest savings may qualify.

“These programs are for people in the city.” The Southeast Zone was designed to serve all five counties equally. The MCOs, the service coordinators, and the program rules don’t change at the county line. A family in Bala Cynwyd has exactly the same access as a family in South Philadelphia.

“We don’t need government help — we can handle this ourselves.” This one runs deep in suburban communities where self-reliance is a point of pride. But handling it yourselves is exactly what these programs support. Participant-Directed Services doesn’t replace family caregiving — it pays for it. The care stays in the family. The only thing that changes is the family gets compensated.

The Application Process for Suburban Families

The process is identical to what Philadelphia families follow. Apply for Medicaid through COMPASS at compass.state.pa.us if your loved one isn’t already enrolled. Contact the CountyAssistance Office in your county for eligibility processing. Once on Medicaid, enroll inCommunity HealthChoices and select an MCO (or accept the assignment). Contact the MCO oryour county’s Area Agency on Aging to arrange a functional eligibility assessment. If your lovedone meets the nursing-facility level of care, a care plan is developed. Request Participant-Directed Services during care planning and name your family caregiver. The family membercompletes Agency with Choice onboarding — background checks, employment paperwork,direct deposit — and begins providing care and receiving a biweekly paycheck.

The County Assistance Offices that handle Medicaid applications are located in each county: Bucks County CAO in Levittown, Chester County CAO in West Chester, Delaware County CAO in Chester, and Montgomery County CAO in Norristown. Applications can also be submitted online through COMPASS regardless of which county you live in.

CareChoice Serves the Entire Southeast Zone

CareChoice works with families across all five counties in the CHC Southeast Zone — not just Philadelphia. Whether your loved one lives in Newtown, Exton, Swarthmore, or Ardmore, the same programs apply and the same support is available.

If you’ve been providing care for a parent or family member in the Philadelphia suburbs and didn’t realize you could be getting paid for it, the programs exist. Let us help you find out if your family qualifies.

Contact CareChoice →Philadelphia and surrounding counties

Medicaid Home Care in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties