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Eligibility
The IHSS Health Care Certification (SOC 873)
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.
What SOC 873 is, who signs it, why the county wants it before authorizing services, and when alternative documentation may be accepted.
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
SOC 873 is the IHSS Health Care Certification. A licensed health professional completes it, or the county may accept alternative documentation that meets the same purpose. CDSS says the certification must be received before services are authorized. Extra hospital records do not replace the form unless the county asked for a specific page.
Who decides
The county IHSS office decides whether SOC 873 is complete and whether alternative documentation is acceptable. A licensed health professional signs the medical content. The social worker still assesses tasks and hours in the home.
What to do next
Ask the county IHSS office for the SOC 873 they want, take it to a licensed health professional who knows the person’s condition, and return the signed page with the rest of the IHSS packet.
What SOC 873 is for
The Health Care Certification is the medical piece In-Home Supportive Services asks for. It is not the application. The application is SOC 295. SOC 873 tells the county that a licensed health professional has documented the need that IHSS is built around: help so the person can remain safely at home.
CDSS and county regulations treat this page as a gate. A completed SOC 873, or acceptable alternative documentation signed by a licensed health care professional, must reach the county before services are authorized. Families sometimes treat it as optional paperwork. The county treats it as the medical foundation next to the own-home setting and the Medi-Cal determination.
Who completes it, and who does not
A licensed health professional completes the form. That is often the clinician who already follows the person’s chronic conditions. An adult child can carry the blank form, sit in the exam room if the parent wants that, and return the signed page. The adult child does not sign the medical certification.
If the usual clinician is hard to reach, ask the county what they will accept. Some offices will walk you through a clinic, a specialist, or another licensed professional. This site does not publish a private list of acceptable licenses. The county file is the place that question belongs.
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Questions people ask
- Who is allowed to sign SOC 873?
- A licensed health professional. Ask the county which license types they accept if the signer is not the usual primary-care clinician. Do not leave the signature line blank and hope a discharge summary will do.
- Can the county authorize hours before SOC 873 arrives?
- CDSS says the Health Care Certification must be received before services are authorized. Alternative documentation can be accepted when it meets the program rules. Ask the county what they will take.
- Should I attach every hospital record?
- Usually no. Incomplete signatures and a blank SOC 873 send the file back. A stack of labs and imaging often sits unread. Send what the county asked for.
- Do children need SOC 873 too?
- Yes. CDSS says children have the same core eligibility, including SOC 873 or acceptable alternative documentation. See [IHSS for children](/guides/ihss-for-children-california).
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.