What Is CDHCI? Alberta’s Client Directed Home Care Invoicing – A Guide for Families
How the CDHCI program helps eligible Alberta families take more control of home care, and what to look for in a provider that makes it feel simpler, not harder.
Arranging support for an aging parent in Alberta can feel like solving three problems at once. There’s the emotional weight of watching a parent need help. There’s the practical challenge of understanding what public programs actually cover. And there’s the quiet dread of the paperwork — AHS assessments, Alberta Blue Cross forms, choosing a provider from a list of names you’ve never heard of, all while your parent is waiting for care to actually start.
CDHCI – the Client Directed Home Care Invoicing program, was built to give eligible Albertans more say in how their aging-in-place care is delivered. This guide walks through what CDHCI is, who qualifies, how the funding works, and because it matters more than most guides admit, how to choose a provider who will make the program feel simpler, not harder.
Vyta is an approved CDHCI provider serving eligible Alberta families across six communities, with local Neighbourhood Health Teams delivering care where clients actually live. This guide is what we tell families who call us for the first time.
What Is CDHCI?
CDHCI (Client Directed Home Care Invoicing) is an Alberta Health Services program that lets eligible home-care clients choose their own approved provider, while invoicing is handled through Alberta Blue Cross. Instead of receiving support only through the standard AHS home-care model, CDHCI clients direct their own care within an approved plan.
The program exists because families kept telling AHS the same thing: the person needing care is the one who should have the most say in who provides it. CDHCI is Alberta’s answer — a publicly funded home-care option that adds choice, flexibility, and continuity to a system that historically didn’t offer much of it.
For a full program overview, see the AHS CDHCI brochure.
Who Qualifies for CDHCI?
Eligibility is based on assessed need. In general, a person qualifies for CDHCI if they:
- Live in Alberta with a valid Alberta Health Care card
- Have been assessed by Alberta Health Services and approved for home-care services
- Have a predictable, consistent need for home care
- Can manage the client-directed model themselves, or have someone (an adult child, spouse, or trusted family caregiver) who can manage it with them
That last point is where families often step in. Most CDHCI clients are older adults whose adult children help navigate the paperwork, coordinate with the provider, and stay involved in the care plan as things evolve. If that sounds like your family, CDHCI is designed with you in mind.
How the Funding Works
The pathway is straightforward once you see it laid out:
- AHS assessment. A home-care clinician assesses need and approves a care plan (services, hours, and rates).
- Provider choice. The client (or their family) chooses an approved provider from the CDHCI provider list.
- Direct invoicing. The provider bills eligible services directly to Alberta Blue Cross under the approved plan. Clients don’t pay first and get reimbursed — the provider is paid through the program.
CDHCI is not open-ended funding. Services have to fit within the approved hours, rates, and billing rules set by AHS. That’s why choosing a provider who understands the program well matters — it keeps the invoicing clean and the care uninterrupted.
For the full program guide, see Alberta Blue Cross’s Client-Directed Home Care page.
What CDHCI Covers
The exact services depend on the AHS-approved care plan, but most CDHCI-eligible care from Vyta falls into four categories:
- Personal Care & Home Support — help with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, and daily routines
- In-Home Nursing — clinical support from Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs)
- Post-Hospital At-Home Recovery — support during the vulnerable window after a hospital discharge
- Companionship Services — social presence, wellness check-ins, and respite for family caregivers
How that care actually gets delivered matters as much as what it is. At Vyta, CDHCI-eligible care is delivered through our Neighbourhood Health Teams – small, locally rooted teams led by a regulated Clinical Leader. In practice, that means continuity of caregivers instead of a rotating roster; a Clinical Leader who knows the care plan personally; and a small enough team that clients and families recognize the faces at the door.
Where Vyta Serves CDHCI Clients
Vyta currently supports eligible CDHCI clients in six Alberta communities:
- Grande Prairie
- Lethbridge South
- Medicine Hat
- Red Deer Central
Coverage within any community can vary neighbourhood to neighbourhood. If you’re not sure whether Vyta serves your specific address, a Lifestyle Advisor can confirm what’s available near you.
How to Choose a CDHCI Provider — 5 Questions to Ask
CDHCI gives your family the right to choose. That right only matters if you know what to ask. Five questions worth putting to any approved CDHCI provider before you commit:
- Will the same caregivers come to my parent’s home each visit, or will it be a rotation? Continuity matters, both for the older adult receiving care and for the family trying to stay informed. At Vyta, continuity of caregiver is core to how Neighbourhood Health Teams are structured.
- Who oversees the care plan clinically? A regulated healthcare professional (an RN, called a Clinical Leader at Vyta) should be responsible for reviewing the care plan and adjusting it as needs change.
- How does Alberta Blue Cross invoicing work in practice? The best CDHCI providers handle direct invoicing so the client and family don’t touch the paperwork. Ask what they’ll need from you at the start, and what happens if a visit is missed or plan hours change.
- Which communities do you actively serve today? Approved providers can be listed for a region without having a live team in every community. Ask which specific cities and neighbourhoods they cover today, not in general.
- How is quality overseen and accountability handled? Home care is a trust decision. Ask how the provider measures quality, how complaints are handled, and who is professionally accountable when something goes wrong. At Vyta, every care plan is overseen by a regulated Clinical Leader accountable to their professional college, the same standard of clinical governance you’d expect from a hospital-based service, delivered in your parent’s home.
Getting Started With Vyta
If CDHCI sounds like the right fit for your family, the next step doesn’t have to be complicated.
A conversation with a Vyta Lifestyle Advisor, your single point of contact through the whole journey, starts with your parent’s AHS assessment and approved care plan. From there, we handle the Alberta Blue Cross invoicing, coordinate the Neighbourhood Health Team, and stay in touch as your parent’s needs evolve.
Learn more on our government-funded home care in Alberta page, or reach out to a Lifestyle Advisor for a no-pressure conversation about whether CDHCI fits your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CDHCI in Alberta?
CDHCI (Client Directed Home Care Invoicing) is an Alberta Health Services program that lets eligible home-care clients choose their own approved provider, with invoicing handled through Alberta Blue Cross. It’s designed to give clients and families more choice and flexibility within a publicly funded home-care plan.
Who is eligible for CDHCI?
Alberta residents with a valid Alberta Health Care card who have been assessed by AHS as needing home care, and who can manage (or have someone manage) the client-directed model. Eligibility is based on assessed need.
How do I apply for CDHCI?
The pathway starts with an AHS home-care assessment. If AHS determines that home care is needed, you can ask about CDHCI as an option and be added to the program if it fits your care plan.
What is the CDHCI hourly rate?
Hourly rates depend on the service type and the AHS-approved care plan; rates are set under the program by Alberta Health Services and Alberta Blue Cross. Your approved provider bills within those rates directly to Blue Cross.
Is CDHCI available in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, or Red Deer?
Yes – CDHCI is available anywhere in Alberta where a person qualifies through AHS. Vyta serves CDHCI-eligible clients specifically in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge South, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer Central.
Does CDHCI cover dementia care?
CDHCI covers care that’s approved in an AHS care plan. For a client with dementia, that plan often includes personal care, home support, companionship, and depending on assessed need, nursing support. Talk to your AHS case manager about how dementia-related care fits into a CDHCI plan.
How is CDHCI different from regular AHS home care?
Standard AHS home care is delivered by AHS-selected providers. CDHCI lets the client choose their own approved provider from the CDHCI vendor list, which typically means more continuity of caregiver and more say in how care is delivered.
How does Alberta Blue Cross direct billing work?
The approved CDHCI provider submits invoices directly to Alberta Blue Cross under the client’s approved plan. Clients and families don’t pay out of pocket first – the provider is paid through the program, within the approved hours and rates.