IHSS & Federal Funding

Published by IHSSHours.com · September 13, 2026 · Updated October 11, 2026

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has now twice deferred federal funding tied to California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program — roughly $1.1 billion in May 2026, and an additional $867.5 million announced on July 21, 2026. Here's what happened, why, and what it could mean if you rely on IHSS as a recipient, care provider, or family member.

The bottom line first: Your IHSS eligibility has not changed, and your authorized hours have not been cut. These are disputes between the federal government and the State of California over documentation and reimbursement — not changes to your case. Your hours are still determined by your county social worker under state rules.

Latest: The July 21, 2026 Deferral

On July 21, 2026, HHS and CMS announced they were deferring approximately $867.5 million in federal Medicaid payments to California, alongside about $199 million to Minnesota. Many headlines described this as "more than $1 billion" — that figure is the two states combined, not California's share alone.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said roughly $646 million of California's deferral is specifically tied to In-Home Supportive Services. CMS said it reviewed California's in-home care claims after identifying spending growth that "far exceeded national trends," and that funds will be released once the state provides documentation supporting those claims.

Note that this is a separate, additional action from the May 2026 deferral described below — not a re-reporting of the same event.

Two different numbers, both correct. You will see the May action described as $1.1 billion and as $1.34 billion. The $1.34 billion is the total deferral CMS issued that day across 11 separate items; $1.133 billion of it was the single line covering personal care and home health, which is the IHSS-tied portion the state quotes. The July action works the same way: $867.5 million total across 13 items, of which $646.4 million relates to in-home care — $391.4 million of Community First Choice spending and $250.2 million of Personal Care Services. By California's own accounting that brings the IHSS-tied total to roughly $1.7 billion across both actions.

What period each covers. A deferral applies to a past quarter, not to current spending. The May 13 action covers Q1 of federal fiscal year 2026, which ended 31 December 2025. The July 21 action covers Q2, which ended 31 March 2026. Both trace back to a letter of inquiry CMS sent the state Medicaid agency on 27 January 2026; California answered on 17 February with a 64-page response attributing the growth to caseload, hours per case, and care provider wage increases rather than improper payments.

What "Deferral" Actually Means

This distinction matters, and it's often lost in coverage:

A deferral is a temporary hold, not a permanent cut. CMS has explicitly described these as deferrals, and California has the opportunity to submit documentation showing the claims meet federal requirements.
A deferral is not a finding of fraud. CMS has not publicly identified specific providers, and has not claimed that any specific percentage of California's IHSS spending is fraudulent. Federal officials have used fraud-and-waste language to describe the broader initiative, but the action itself is a documentation review.
It does not change eligibility. No one's IHSS eligibility or authorized hours changed as a result of either announcement.

Background: The May 2026 Deferral

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced the freeze at a White House event, calling it the largest deferral the agency has ever issued. Vice President JD Vance said the withholding was tied to concerns that California had "not taken fraud very seriously" in its Medicaid program.

IHSS helps more than 900,000 older adults, people with disabilities, and children remain safely in their own homes rather than moving into institutional care. The program is jointly funded by state and federal governments, so a federal funding deferral doesn't immediately cut off services — but it does create a serious fiscal gap that California has to cover in the meantime.

Why CMS Says It Deferred the Funds

According to CMS's deferral letter, the agency's stated concern is that California's IHSS spending has grown faster than other states'. Federal officials have described California as a statistical "outlier," pointing to home health spending growing roughly twice as fast as the national rate, and cited unspecified program-integrity concerns as part of the justification.

This wasn't an isolated action — CMS took a similar step against Minnesota's Medicaid program in February 2026, withholding about $259 million; Minnesota sued to block that freeze.

California's Response

State officials pushed back hard. DHCS and State Medicaid Director Tyler Sadwith argued that the spending growth CMS is citing is the predictable result of policies the federal government itself has long encouraged: expanding home-based care so people can avoid costlier institutional settings.

The state attributes the cost growth to three specific factors:

Caseload growth — the number of IHSS recipients eligible for federal funding rose about 17.5% between state fiscal years 2022–23 and 2024–25.
Rising cost per hour — the average IHSS hourly cost rose from $19.00 to $21.03 over the same period, driven mainly by minimum wage increases and county-negotiated care provider wages.
More hours per case — recipients' care needs have grown more intensive over time, modestly increasing average hours per case.

DHCS says California already maintains extensive oversight of the program — including electronic timesheets, annual assessments, and coordinated state-county reviews — and is calling on CMS to restore the funds immediately.

What This Means for You Right Now

No immediate cut to services. The deferral is a federal-state financial dispute, not a change to IHSS eligibility rules or hours for individual recipients.
State budget strain. California's 2026-27 budget documents show the state has already had to absorb hundreds of millions of dollars in costs tied to these deferrals, and it's currently projecting five quarters of deferral impact instead of the usual four.
Disability advocates are alarmed. Groups like Disability Rights California have publicly opposed the deferral, warning it threatens people who depend on IHSS to live independently.

Good news on two related worries: Separately from this deferral, the Governor's original 2026-27 budget proposal in January included two other IHSS-adjacent cuts — eliminating the IHSS Backup Provider System, and reinstating a strict $2,000/$3,000 Medi-Cal asset test. Neither survived final budget negotiations as proposed. The enacted budget keeps the Backup Provider System in place and did not adopt the $2,000/$3,000 test. The Medi-Cal asset limit in force today is far higher — $130,000 for an individual and $195,000 for a couple, in effect since January 1, 2026 — and the budget's change to that limit does not start until July 1, 2027, not January 2027 as originally planned.

What This Means by Situation

If you receive IHSS: Your eligibility and authorized hours are unaffected. Your assessment and rank determinations are set by your county under state rules, none of which changed.
If you're an IHSS provider: This is where the real-world risk sits. California runs IHSS on a continuous reimbursement cycle, so a prolonged federal hold creates budget pressure that could, in theory, affect payment timing. As of this writing, no disruption to provider paychecks has been announced, and the state says it will continue ensuring uninterrupted care.
If you're applying: Keep going. Nothing about these actions changes the application or assessment process.

The Bigger Picture

These disputes sit inside a larger pattern of the federal government scrutinizing state Medicaid spending for fraud and "outlier" growth, with Minnesota, California, New York, and Hawaii all named in connection with the administration's fraud task force. Minnesota sued to block its February 2026 deferral; whether California pursues litigation over either of its deferrals remains to be seen.

You'll see this story framed very differently depending on the source. Federal officials describe it as protecting taxpayer dollars. California officials and disability rights groups describe it as a politically motivated action that puts vulnerable people at risk. What's verifiable is this: the money is being held, the stated reason is documentation of high-risk claims, the state disputes the characterization, and no one's IHSS eligibility or hours changed as a result.

Anyone with an active IHSS case should watch for county or state notices — not headlines. A notice about your case is the thing that requires action. And if your hours are ever reduced or denied, you have 90 days from the date on the Notice of Action to request a State Hearing; that right is unaffected by any of this. The July 2027 asset test change is also worth knowing about if it could apply to you.

Sources

HHS press release, 21 July 2026 — deferral of approximately $867.5 million to California and $199 million to Minnesota, pending documentation
DHCS, “Statement on Latest Federal Deferral of IHSS Funds,” 23 July 2026 — $646.4 million of in-home care deferred, bringing the IHSS-tied total to roughly $1.7 billion
DHCS news release 26-11, 14 May 2026 — the May deferral of $1.1 billion tied to IHSS; caseload rose from 613,764 in SFY 2022-23 to 720,988 in SFY 2024-25, average cost per hour from $19.00 to $21.03
Georgetown Center for Children and Families, 15 May and 29 July 2026 — the May letter identifies 11 deferrals totaling $1.34 billion for Q1 FFY 2026, the largest single item $1.133 billion for personal care and home health; the July letter identifies 13 items for Q2 FFY 2026
CMS letter of inquiry to the state Medicaid agency, 27 January 2026, and California’s 64-page response of 17 February 2026
Disability Rights California statement, 15 May 2026
WIC 12300 et seq., MPP 30-700 et seq. — IHSS eligibility and authorization are set by state law and county assessment, and are not altered by a federal payment deferral

A deferral is a hold on federal reimbursement to the state, not a change to any recipient's eligibility or authorized hours. This page was last reviewed on 15 September 2026; check DHCS for developments since. More on our sources and method: How we calculate estimates.

Educational information, not legal advice. Only your county can authorize IHSS services, and only after an assessment. IHSSHours.com is an independent resource and is not affiliated with CDSS or any county IHSS office. · More IHSS guides