Finding out that an aging parent or loved one needs extra help at home can be overwhelming. Between managing their health, coordinating family schedules, and ensuring their safety, families in Alberta are often left asking one major question: How are we going to pay for this?
Many families assume their only options are to rely entirely on the public health system—which often means limited hours and a revolving door of different caregivers—or to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for private care.
Fortunately, there is a third option that offers the best of both worlds: The Client Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI) program.
In this guide, we will break down what the CDHCI program is, how it works, and how you can use it to get the highest quality private home care in Edmonton, Calgary, and surrounding areas without the administrative headache.
What is the CDHCI Program?
The Client Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI) program is an initiative created by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and administered by Alberta Blue Cross.
Historically, if you wanted to choose your own private home care agency using government funding, you had to use the Self-Managed Care (SMC) program. While SMC is great, it requires the family to receive the funds, manage the bank accounts, keep receipts, and act as an employer. For a family already stressed about a loved one's health, that is a lot of extra paperwork.
CDHCI solves this problem. Under the CDHCI program, AHS still assesses your loved one and approves a specific number of funded home care hours. However, instead of sending the money to you, Alberta Blue Cross pays the approved private home care agency directly.
The Benefits of Choosing CDHCI
Choosing an approved CDHCI provider like Compassion Network Home Care completely changes the home care experience for your family:
- Zero Administrative Burden: You do not have to submit invoices, wait for reimbursements, or manage payroll. We bill Alberta Blue Cross directly for your approved AHS hours.
- You Choose Your Agency: You are not forced to use the default public care provider. You have the power to select a premium private agency that aligns with your family’s values and needs.
- Caregiver Consistency: One of the biggest complaints about standard public care is the constant rotation of strangers in the home. By using CDHCI to hire a private agency, you ensure your loved one sees the same familiar, friendly caregivers every week.
- Flexible Scheduling: Private agencies schedule care around your life, not the health system's availability.
How Does the Process Work?
Transitioning to the CDHCI program is simpler than most families realize. Here are the three basic steps:
1. The AHS Assessment: Your loved one must be assessed by an AHS Case Manager to determine their care needs and the number of funded hours they are eligible for. (If you haven't done this yet, we can guide you on who to call!).
2. Choose Your Provider: Once approved, you tell your AHS Case Manager that you want to use the CDHCI program and select Compassion Network Home Care as your provider of choice.
3. We Take Over: We meet with your family to build a customized care plan, match you with the perfect caregiver, and handle all the direct billing with Alberta Blue Cross.
Supplementing Your Care
What happens if AHS approves your loved one for 10 hours of care a week, but you feel they really need 20 hours to be safe?
Because Compassion Network Home Care is a private agency, we can seamlessly blend your care. We will bill Blue Cross directly for the 10 funded hours, and you can pay privately for the additional 10 hours. Your loved one keeps the exact same caregiver for all 20 hours, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience.
Get the Care Your Family Deserves
Navigating the healthcare system doesn't have to be something you do alone. Whether you are currently on a waitlist for AHS, looking to switch your current public care over to the CDHCI program, or simply need to supplement your care with private support, Compassion Network Home Care is here to help.
As an approved provider, we deliver premium, compassionate private home care services across Edmonton, Calgary, and surrounding areas—and we handle the billing for you.
Ready to explore your options? Navigating funding and care plans can be complicated, but we can walk you through it step-by-step.
Book a Free CDHCI Consultation Today
