GuidesProvider enrollment and EVV
Provider enrollment and EVV
Live-In IHSS Providers and SOC 2298 Self-Certification
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.
How living with the recipient changes EVV steps when the provider self-certifies on SOC 2298, without inventing extra hour totals.
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
A provider who lives with the recipient and self-certifies on SOC 2298 follows different Electronic Visit Verification steps than a provider who comes to the home. Living together does not, by itself, add authorized hours. The Notice of Action still sets what can be claimed.
Who decides
The county IHSS office decides whether live-in EVV steps apply and which hours are authorized. Medi-Cal still sits under the case.
What to do next
Tell the county you live with the recipient, ask whether to complete SOC 2298, and ask how EVV changes for that self-certification before the first timesheet.
Living with the recipient is an EVV fact, not a second assessment
Many IHSS providers already share a home with the person they help: an adult child who moved in, a spouse, a parent of a minor, or another relative. CDSS says live-in providers who self-certify (SOC 2298) have different EVV steps. That sentence is the rule this page explains. It is not a promise of extra payable hours because someone is in the house overnight.
The social worker still authorizes tasks using Functional Index Rankings and Hourly Task Guidelines. Around-the-clock need, when it exists, shows up in that assessment. It does not appear because you checked a live-in box. Claim only what the notice authorized and what you provided.
What SOC 2298 is for
SOC 2298 is the self-certification that you live with the recipient. The county uses it to put you on the live-in EVV path. Ask for the current form from the Public Authority or IHSS office. Return it with the rest of enrollment if they say it belongs in that packet, or as soon as your living situation matches what the form describes.
If you keep another residence and stay over some nights, describe that honestly. The county decides whether you are a live-in provider for EVV. A neighbor with a key is not live-in. A friend who sleeps on the couch during a crisis week may not be live-in. Do not copy someone else’s SOC 2298 story onto your file.
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Questions people ask
- Does SOC 2298 replace SOC 426?
- No. SOC 426 is the provider enrollment form. SOC 2298 is live-in self-certification that changes EVV steps. You may need both.
- If I live with my parent, am I automatically live-in for EVV?
- Ask the county. Self-certification is a form they process, not a fact you assume after you move a bed into the spare room.
- Can a live-in adult child still be paid?
- Yes, adult children are commonly allowed after enrollment. Live-in status changes EVV, not the basic rule that an adult child may enroll.
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.