Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Oregon?
Yes — Oregon lets a spouse be paid.
Oregon is one of the states where the person who needs care can hire their own husband or wife and have the program pay for it. You do the caring you are already doing. The state pays you for it.
What has to be true
- Your spouse lives in Oregon and needs long-term care help at home.
- Your spouse has Medicaid, or can qualify. We check that with you for free.
- You pass a background check. No license or certificate is needed.
- The care your spouse needs is written into their plan — that is what the hours are paid against.
What Oregon pays family caregivers
$20–$24.10/hr
Source: Oregon Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
What Oregon's rule actually says
yes — spouses can be hired under ICP and the dedicated Spousal Pay Program (spouse must enroll as a provider with the Oregon Home Care Commission)
The programs this runs through in Oregon: Independent Choices Program (ICP), Spousal Pay Program, Consumer-Employed Provider program. Who runs them: Oregon Department of Human Services, Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) — 800-282-8096; ADRC 1-855-673-2372
850,800 people in Oregon are 65 or older. Most of them are cared for at home, by a relative — usually without being paid for it.
How to start in Oregon
Contact the local Area Agency on Aging / APD office or call ODHS at 800-282-8096 (ADRC 1-855-673-2372) to request an assessment and ask for Independent Choices or Spousal Pay.
fully self-directed — participant is the employer; fiscal-agency help optional under ICP; Spousal Pay caregivers need an OHCC provider number
See if you qualify →Spouse questions in Oregon, answered
Can I get paid to care for my husband or wife in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon allows it. The published rule: yes — spouses can be hired under ICP and the dedicated Spousal Pay Program (spouse must enroll as a provider with the Oregon Home Care Commission)
Why do some states allow this and others don't?
Medicaid has long treated care between spouses as a family duty rather than paid work. Self-directed programs changed that in many states by making the person who needs care the employer — they choose their own worker, and in some states that can be a spouse. It is a state-by-state policy choice, not a federal rule.
How much would I earn in Oregon?
Reported pay in Oregon runs around $20–$24.10/hr, though your exact rate is set by the program and the care plan.
Does my spouse need Medicaid first?
Yes. These are Medicaid programs, so your spouse has to qualify for Oregon Medicaid and need long-term care help. Many families assume they earn too much and never apply. The rules for long-term care are not the same as regular Medicaid — check before you rule yourself out.
Is there a waitlist in Oregon?
ICP: not an entitlement — waitlist can form when slots fill; Spousal Pay Program is an entitlement with no waitlist
How do we start?
Contact the local Area Agency on Aging / APD office or call ODHS at 800-282-8096 (ADRC 1-855-673-2372) to request an assessment and ask for Independent Choices or Spousal Pay.
Sources: medicaidplanningassistance.org · medicaidplanningassistance.org · oregon.gov · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Where most Oregon caregivers are
Counties with the most residents aged 65 and older. The rules are the same everywhere in Oregon — pick yours for the local picture.
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