Can a home healthcare worker be paid by calpers if they are live-in?

Are you referring to a CalPERS pension or the CalPERS Long Term Care Program?

The pension, like any of a person's income, should be used for their care. Do they have someone with POA? Be aware that CalPERS has its own POA form. A consultation with an an elder law expert and a personal care agreement including tax withholding are in order.

The Long Term Care (LTC) program is similar to insurance. The person pays for it monthly so whoever is handling the finances should be able to confirm if they have it or not.

Insurance doesn't usually pay for informal caregivers, but the POA can pursue it in hopes of qualifying for an exception. Even if they can't pay you, once they are in claim, they stop paying the premiums, so they have a little more disposable income in addition to having someone else there so you can get out more easily.

Here are a couple of quotes from the CalPERS LTC1 comprehensive plan:

"Eligible Providers for Home Health Care Services
Home Health Care Services may be provided by personnel from a Home Health Agency that is state licensed, accredited, or certified by Medicare to provide Home Health Care Services, or, when a Care Advisory Services Agency has determined that no Home Health Agency exists in the area, directly by an individual who is licensed or certified to provide Home Health Care Services and who is bonded or holds appropriate liability insurance."

"We Reserve the Right To Authorize Alternative Benefits and Services
We reserve the right to authorize benefits for providers, treatments, or services not otherwise specified in the Evidence of Coverage, or when conditions specified in this Agreement are not otherwise met, if We determine that it:
is cost-effective;
is appropriate to Your needs;
is consistent with general standards of care; and
provides You with an equal or greater quality of care.
Any alternative benefits, treatments or services We authorize must also be agreed to by You or Your Representative and Your Physician, if appropriate."

Talk to the family. Is there a POA assigned. If so, they should know the person's financials. You will need a contract and taxes and SS will need to be deducted. This would be handled by the POA. If not done correctly, it could effect the ability to get MediCal down the line.

No absolutely not. Do you even know what cal-pers is? It’s a retirement system for public employees. Cal
pers does not pay caregivers. They have absolutely nothing to do with that. They aren’t an insurance policy or social program. The person you are living with should be paying you. And California has no state program that pays for a live-in caregiver.