How Much Does ALTCS Pay Caregivers Per Month? | Family & Agency Rates Explained

If you’re caring for an aging parent or disabled family member in Arizona, one of your biggest questions is: Can I get paid for this? The answer is yes—but how much you get paid under ALTCS (Arizona Long Term Care System) depends on a few key factors, with the level of care needed being the most important.

ALTCS typically pays Arizona minimum wage for family caregivers, which is $14.35 per hour as of 2025. Depending on the number of hours approved by ALTCS, that can mean anywhere from $1,700 to $2,500 per month or more in some cases.

That said, there’s a lot more to the story—and knowing how to present the situation can make a big difference in how many hours are approved and how much you’re ultimately paid.

ALTCS Family Caregiver Pay: What to Expect

ALTCS allows family members—including adult children, spouses in some cases, or other relatives—to be paid caregivers. Payments are made through a fiscal intermediary under a self-directed model, where the ALTCS member (or someone acting on their behalf) hires and supervises the caregiver directly.

Payments are made based on an hourly rate, and the number of hours is tied to an assessment of how much help the ALTCS member needs with daily activities like:

Bathing and dressing
Toileting and incontinence care
Medication reminders or administration
Transferring (moving from bed to chair, etc.)
Meal prep and feeding
Cognitive support and supervision

The more assistance your loved one needs with these tasks, the more hours ALTCS may approve. So, while the hourly pay is fixed, your total monthly income as a caregiver depends entirely on how many care hours are authorized.

Getting the Most Hours: Focus on the Level of Care

Many families unintentionally miss this. ALTCS doesn’t just ask if the applicant needs “some help”—they look for a clear need for daily, hands-on assistance. If the care needs aren’t well-documented or fully explained, ALTCS may approve fewer hours than the situation requires.

That’s why we always recommend taking the time to fully outline your loved one’s:

Mobility issues (falls, walker/cane use, unsteadiness)
Cognitive concerns (memory loss, confusion, wandering)
Incontinence or hygiene challenges
Difficulty preparing meals or eating alone
Need for supervision throughout the day or night

Even things like needing help managing medications or having trouble with stairs can affect the number of hours approved. If you’re not sure how to present the care needs—or you’re worried you might be overlooking something—we can walk you through it.

ALTCS Agencies vs. Family Caregivers: What’s the Difference?

ALTCS offers two ways to receive in-home care:

Self-directed care, where family or friends are hired directly and paid through ALTCS (at minimum wage).
Agency-based care is where ALTCS contracts with caregiving agencies that send their staff to the home.

Agencies like Mercy Care, Banner, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan oversee most ALTCS members and work with a network of caregiver agencies. ALTCS reimburses these agencies at higher rates—often $25 to $35 per hour. However, the caregivers are paid less, typically $14 to $18 per hour, depending on the agency and experience level.

For families, this creates a trade-off:

Agency caregivers may offer extra support or coverage if a family member can’t provide care full-time.
Family caregivers may earn a bit less, but they offer consistency, comfort, and flexibility—and many families prefer to keep care in the family if possible.

Every situation is different, and some families even choose a blended model, where a family caregiver handles most of the care, and an agency fills in the gaps. If you’re unsure what’s best for your loved one, we’re happy to discuss it with you.

Can You Increase the Number of ALTCS Hours?

Absolutely—and it can make a major difference in the monthly pay.

If your loved one’s condition changes, or if their initial assessment didn’t reflect the full extent of their needs, you can request a reassessment. ALTCS reviews functional and medical needs and may increase hours if there’s a good reason. To support that, it helps to provide:

Updated medical records or physician notes
A detailed caregiver log outlining what you do each day
Documentation of recent falls, hospitalizations, or changes in behavior
Home safety concerns or difficulties managing on their own

We’ve worked with many families who were initially approved for 20–30 hours, but after submitting additional information and demonstrating care needs, were bumped up to 40 hours or more—sometimes even adding night supervision hours. We can help you put together a plan if you think more hours may be justified.

Bottom Line: Don’t Leave Support on the Table

ALTCS is a powerful program that can allow families to keep loved ones at home, provide essential care, and receive compensation. But the system is complex—and many people never receive the full benefits they could be getting simply because they don’t know how to navigate it.

If you’re helping a parent, spouse, or relative and wondering if ALTCS can help pay you for that care, the best next step is a quick conversation. We can walk you through what to expect, how to prepare for the application, and what to do if you’re already on ALTCS and think your hours should be higher.