GuidesMedi-Cal and share of cost
Medi-Cal and share of cost
Share of Cost Questions to Ask the County
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.
A calm list of questions for Medi-Cal and IHSS staff about share of cost, so a family provider is not surprised by the warrant.
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
Ask county Medi-Cal staff whether a share of cost applies and what the amount is. Ask IHSS staff how an unpaid share of cost will appear on the provider warrant. CDSS says the recipient then pays the provider that deducted amount. Write the answers down. Do not guess the figure from a chart.
Who decides
The county Medi-Cal office confirms whether a share of cost applies and the amount. The county IHSS office can explain how an unpaid amount affects the warrant. You decide how the recipient will pay the provider the leftover part.
What to do next
Call or visit Medi-Cal with the list below, then call IHSS with the warrant questions, and keep the written amounts with your copies of the Notice of Action.
Why a written question list helps
Share of cost is where adult children get blindsided. The social worker authorized hours. The provider enrolled. The first warrant is smaller than expected. CDSS already said why, on the share of cost fact sheet: unpaid share of cost can be deducted, and the recipient pays the provider that amount. The fix is to ask before the first timesheet, not after.
What share of cost is and how it affects the check are the explainers. This page is only the conversation. Bring a notebook. Ask the parent to sit with you if they can. Have the Medi-Cal case number and the IHSS case number if you have them.
Questions for county Medi-Cal staff
- Does this person have a Medi-Cal share of cost.
- What is the current monthly amount. Please point to the notice that shows it.
- What household facts would change that amount.
- If income is reported late, when would a new amount start. (Ask them. Do not invent a lag.)
- Does a renewal usually review share of cost again.
- If medical bills were paid this month, do they count toward meeting the share of cost on this file, and how would we show that.
- How can an adult child be listed so you may discuss this budget with me.
Do not ask Medi-Cal to set IHSS hours. Do not ask them to confirm the county IHSS wage. Those are other desks. Do not offer them a spend-down spreadsheet you built from a blog. Let them apply Medi-Cal rules to this case.
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Questions people ask
- Who should I call first?
- Medi-Cal, for whether a share of cost exists and the amount. Then IHSS, for how that amount hits the warrant if it is unpaid.
- What if the two offices give different numbers?
- Read the numbers back, ask which notice they came from, and ask them to reconcile. Do not average them.
- Do I need these questions if Medi-Cal is still pending?
- You can ask whether a share of cost is likely, but the amount is not reliable until Medi-Cal is determined. Finish the application, then ask again.
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.