Texas care-navigation guide • Updated September 2026
Texas PHC & STAR+PLUS Personal Assistance
Texas families often hear PHC, PAS, STAR+PLUS, Agency Option, CDS, and SRO in the same conversation. They are not interchangeable. This guide explains the current framework so families can ask better questions about how authorized personal assistance is delivered.
Planned Personal Assistance Services only; license pending.
Start with the program
PHC and STAR+PLUS are different pathways
Primary Home Care (PHC) is a Texas program for non-technical, in-home attendant services for eligible people who need help with personal-care tasks. Current HHSC guidance lists tasks such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, feeding, toileting, transferring or ambulating, housekeeping, laundry, and shopping.
STAR+PLUS is Texas Medicaid managed care for adults who are elderly or have disabilities. For long-term services and supports, the member’s managed care organization coordinates assessment, service planning, authorization, and contracted providers.
Why families get confused
- “PAS” describes personal assistance services, not one single payer pathway.
- The same daily-living task may appear in more than one program or delivery model.
- Eligibility does not automatically mean every provider can serve every member.
- Authorization, network status, the service plan, and delivery-model choice may all matter.
What attendants may help with
Common daily-living tasks in current Texas guidance
Personal care
- Bathing and drying
- Dressing and undressing
- Grooming and hygiene
- Toileting assistance
- Eating or feeding assistance
Mobility & routines
- Transferring
- Ambulation assistance
- Routine movement support when authorized
- Assistance with self-administered medication within program rules
Home management
- Meal preparation
- Housekeeping
- Laundry and linens
- Shopping and storing items
- Washing dishes
For task-level detail, see our 2026 Texas personal-attendant task guide, toileting assistance guide, and mobility and transfer guide.
How services are managed
Agency Option vs. CDS vs. SRO
| Delivery model | Who manages the attendant? | Who handles business/payroll functions? |
|---|---|---|
| Agency Option | The contracted provider manages service delivery with member input. | The provider handles recruitment, employment, payroll, and substitutes. |
| Consumer Directed Services | The person or legally authorized representative recruits, hires, manages, and may dismiss attendants. | An FMSA handles specified payroll and tax functions; the CDS employer has significant employer responsibilities. |
| Service Responsibility Option | The member manages most day-to-day attendant activities, including selection and supervision. | The provider remains employer of record and handles core business functions. |
Want the full comparison? Read Texas CDS vs Agency Option vs SRO.
Primary references: Texas HHSC Community Care Services Eligibility Handbook, Revision 26-2, and current STAR+PLUS service-delivery guidance.
For STAR+PLUS members
Your MCO is part of the service pathway
STAR+PLUS long-term services and supports are coordinated through the member’s managed care organization. Useful questions include which personal-assistance services are authorized, which delivery models are available, which contracted providers serve the county, who the assigned service coordinator is, and what to do if authorized hours are not being staffed.
Valiynt’s current status
Valiynt Health Group is preparing to provide Texas HCSSA Personal Assistance Services. We are not yet licensed. This page does not state or imply current Texas Medicaid enrollment, PHC contracting, STAR+PLUS participation, MCO credentialing, or present service availability.
Planned Personal Assistance Services only; license pending.
Family questions
Quick answers
Is PHC the same as private-pay home care?
No. PHC is a Texas public-benefit program with eligibility, assessment, authorization, and program rules. Private-pay care is arranged and paid for directly under the provider’s private-pay terms.
Can a person go directly to CDS?
Current Texas guidance says eligible applicants do not have to use Agency Option first before choosing CDS. Eligibility and a program service plan must be in place.
Can a relative be the paid attendant?
Some programs allow certain relatives to serve as attendants when program requirements are met, but restrictions apply. Confirm the rule for the exact program, relationship, and delivery model.
Can Valiynt accept PHC or STAR+PLUS clients now?
No. Valiynt is pre-license. Medicaid enrollment, program contracting, and MCO credentialing are separate readiness steps that occur only when eligibility requirements are met.
Build a clearer Texas care-navigation file
Know the program before choosing the provider
Explore Valiynt’s current educational resources, planned service categories, and Southeast Texas locations while our licensing process continues.