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Checklists and next steps
Checklist after an IHSS Notice of Action
Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.
Read the authorized tasks, start or finish provider enrollment, set up timesheets, and ask about share of cost and EVV.
About 4 minutes to read. Based on CDSS and DHCS public program pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County offices apply these rules. Hourly rates, hour totals, and wait times are local and change.
Short answer
When the Notice of Action arrives, read the authorized tasks, confirm who the provider will be, finish enrollment if it is still open, set up timesheets and EVV, and ask whether a Medi-Cal share of cost will affect the warrant. The notice is the plan that counts.
Who decides
The county IHSS office issued the notice and processes enrollment and timesheets. Medi-Cal decides share of cost. The State issues the provider payment.
What to do next
Read the notice all the way through, file a copy, and check enrollment and timesheet setup before you expect a paycheck.
Read the notice as the authorized plan
The Notice of Action is the list that counts for a specific person. It is not a suggestion and not a family estimate. Read the authorized tasks, the hours attached to those tasks, and any attachments the county included. File the envelope or the portal download in the same folder as SOC 295 and SOC 873.
If you are the adult child who has been gathering pages, confirm you are listed so you can ask questions about what you just read. The families page treats this as the turn from applying to running the case.
Checklist once the notice is in your hands
- Read every authorized task. Compare it to the typical day you described at the visit.
- Note the case number and the worker name printed on the notice.
- Decide whether the named provider plan still matches who will actually give the care.
- If you or another person will be the individual provider, check enrollment: orientation, SOC 426, provider agreement, background check where required.
- Ask the county or Public Authority how to submit timesheets for the first period.
- Ask whether EVV applies, and which method.
- If you live in the home, ask about SOC 2298 live-in self-certification.
- Ask Medi-Cal or IHSS whether a share of cost will come out of the warrant.
- Ask how providers are paid locally. Do not assume a date or an amount.
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The short answer and first sections stay free. Create a free account to unlock the rest, including printable checklists and full planner detail. Education first. The county still decides.
Questions people ask
- Is the notice the same as a paycheck?
- No. The notice authorizes tasks and hours. Payment follows enrollment and accepted timesheets. See [first payment](/guides/first-ihss-paycheck-what-to-expect).
- What if I disagree with the hours?
- Re-read the authorized tasks first. Then use [if hours seem low](/guides/if-ihss-hours-seem-low). The notice itself explains hearing steps if you want that path.
- Can I start work the day the notice arrives?
- You can give care. Paid authorized time still waits until the provider is enrolled and the county’s timesheet rules are in place. Ask the office when paid time can begin.
Official sources for this guide
Related pages on California Home Help
Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.
Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.