Ohio PASSPORT Home Care: Eligibility, Application & Starting Care
If you are trying to keep a parent or loved one at home and Medicaid may be part of the answer, start here. This guide explains what Ohio PASSPORT is, who may qualify, how the process works in Southern Ohio, and where SILK fits after services are authorized.
SILK does not determine PASSPORT or Medicaid eligibility. Eligibility, enrollment, authorized services, and approved hours are determined by the responsible public agencies.
This is Ohio’s home-care PASSPORT program—not a travel document.
PASSPORT is an Ohio Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver administered through the Ohio Department of Aging. Its purpose is to help eligible older Ohioans receive approved services in a home or community setting instead of requiring nursing-facility care.
The program is not simply “free home care.” A person must meet Medicaid and program requirements, complete assessment and enrollment steps, and receive a person-centered service plan with authorized services.
Who may qualify for Ohio PASSPORT?
Ohio’s current PASSPORT eligibility rule includes several requirements. The administering agencies—not SILK—make the determination for an individual applicant.
Age 60 or older
The current Ohio PASSPORT rule requires the individual to be at least 60 years old at enrollment.
Medicaid eligibility
The individual must be determined eligible for Medicaid under the applicable Ohio Medicaid rules.
Required level of care
The person must meet the applicable intermediate or skilled level-of-care criteria and, without PASSPORT, require nursing-facility services.
Safe community setting
The person’s health-related needs must be able to be met safely in a qualifying home- and community-based setting.
Need for waiver services
The person generally must need and agree to receive waiver services that are not otherwise available at the necessary level.
Enrollment requirements
Enrollment also depends on the person-centered plan, practitioner approval, program capacity, and other requirements in the current rule.
The practical PASSPORT path, step by step.
For families in the Area Agency on Aging District 7 region, AAA7 is an important local starting point for assessment, resources, and program navigation.
Contact AAA7
Tell AAA7 that you are seeking help for an older adult who wants to remain at home. AAA7 can connect families with assessment and aging-service resources. AAA7 lists its main number as 1-800-582-7277.
Complete the assessment process
The responsible agencies evaluate functional needs, level of care, living situation, and whether the person’s needs can be met safely in the community.
Complete Medicaid eligibility
Medicaid financial eligibility is determined through the responsible public-benefits process. PASSPORT cannot be approved simply because a family needs help.
Build the person-centered plan
If eligible and enrolled, authorized services are based on assessment and the person-centered service-planning process—not on a provider promising a certain number of hours.
Choose an available provider
Once services are authorized, the individual has provider-choice rights. The provider still has to confirm service area, schedule, scope, staffing, and fit.
Call SILK with the actual plan
If SILK is selected or being considered, Susan or Ehren can review the county, authorized service, requested days and times, home situation, and whether SILK can responsibly accept the case.
SILK can be the home-care provider after the program authorizes services.
SILK evaluates Medicaid/PASSPORT home-care requests in five core Southern Ohio counties. Authorization does not automatically guarantee acceptance; the exact address, approved service, schedule, home conditions, caregiver availability, and caregiver fit still matter.
A better first call starts with the facts.
Whether you call AAA7 or SILK first, these details make the conversation more useful.
- The person’s age and home address
- What daily activities are becoming difficult or unsafe
- Whether the person already has Medicaid
- Whether a PASSPORT assessment has happened
- Whether there is an active service plan or authorization
- The days and times help is actually needed
- What family or other caregivers are covering now
- Whether there is an urgent discharge, caregiver loss, or other deadline
Use current sources—not recycled Medicaid numbers.
PASSPORT and Medicaid rules can change. This page is written for families, but the governing agencies remain the source of truth.
Ohio PASSPORT Eligibility & Enrollment Rule
Current Ohio Administrative Code requirements for PASSPORT eligibility and enrollment.
Open Ohio rule →Ohio PASSPORT Waiver Administration Rule
Current rule identifying the Ohio Department of Aging’s administrative role and PASSPORT waiver framework.
Open Ohio rule →Area Agency on Aging District 7
Southern Ohio aging resources, referrals, service information, and contact information.
Visit AAA7 →Ohio Benefits
Ohio’s benefits portal for applications including Medicaid. Application requirements depend on the individual situation.
Visit Ohio Benefits →Clear answers before you make the next call.
Is PASSPORT the same thing as Medicaid?
PASSPORT is an Ohio Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver program for eligible older adults. A person must meet Medicaid requirements as well as PASSPORT program requirements.
How old do you have to be for Ohio PASSPORT?
The current Ohio PASSPORT eligibility rule requires an individual to be 60 years of age or older at enrollment.
Does SILK decide whether my parent qualifies?
No. SILK is a provider, not the eligibility or authorization agency. Public agencies determine Medicaid eligibility, PASSPORT enrollment, services, and approved hours.
Can I choose SILK if PASSPORT is approved?
Eligible participants have provider-choice rights, but provider acceptance still depends on the authorized service, service area, schedule, staffing, home conditions, caregiver fit, and SILK’s current capacity.
Does PASSPORT automatically give someone a certain number of caregiver hours?
No. Services and hours are based on assessment, eligibility, the person-centered planning process, program rules, and authorization. A home-care provider cannot promise a number of Medicaid-funded hours before authorization.
Should I call AAA7 or SILK first?
If you need to begin the PASSPORT eligibility or assessment process in the District 7 region, AAA7 is an important starting point. If you already have an assessment, authorization, case manager, or provider-choice question—or you simply want help understanding the provider side—you can also call SILK.
Can private pay be used while we are figuring out Medicaid?
Potentially. Families may arrange private-pay care directly with SILK when the requested service, location, schedule, terms, home conditions, and staffing align. Private pay does not guarantee future Medicaid reimbursement.
Tell us where you are in the PASSPORT process.
New to PASSPORT? Waiting on an assessment? Already approved? Have a case manager and need a provider? Tell Susan or Ehren what you know. We will explain what belongs with AAA7, Medicaid, the case manager, or SILK—and what the next practical step is.