ABI/MFP Program Changes
January 2026
Difficulty of Care Payments
Read more here.
Overtime Policy
To align with corresponding changes to the MassHealth PCA program, beginning January 1, 2026, Waiver Participant-employers will be required to obtain an overtime authorization when they schedule a DCW to work over 50 hours in a week. This also applies to DCWs who work for more than one Waiver Participant-employer, and those who also work as Personal Care Attendants (PCAs). To obtain the overtime authorization, Waiver Participant-employers must talk with their Waiver Case Manager and provide documentation that supports the request for overtime.
Weekly Hours Limit
To align with corresponding changes to the MassHealth PCA program reflected at 130 CMR 422.418(A), effective January 1, 2026, DCWs are prohibited from working more than 66 total hours in a single week. This also applies to DCWs who work for more than one Waiver Participant-employer and those who also work as PCAs.
Overtime Wages Federal Tax deduction
Under recently enacted federal law, for years 2025 through 2028, in certain circumstances, a DCW can claim a deduction for overtime compensation that is reported on Form W-2, Form 1099, or other specified statement furnished to the individual. For tax year 2025, the amount of overtime compensation qualifying for this deduction will be found on Form W-2 in Box 14 using code “QOC.” For tax years 2026 through 2028, this amount will be found on Form W-2, Box 12 using code “TT.”
DCW Minimum Age Requirement
To align with corresponding changes to the MassHealth Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program reflected at 130 CMR 422.404(A)(1)(d)(4), effective January 1, 2026, DCWs must be at least 16 years old. Individuals younger than 16 will no longer be eligible for DCW employment beginning January 1, 2026. No one is currently impacted by this change.
Using PTO
DCWs may use Paid Earned Time, or “Paid Time Off” (PTO), at any time. This includes hours when the DCW is not scheduled to work as a DCW. The DCW timesheet includes a code to use if a DCW wishes to take PTO during hours that they are not scheduled to work. DCWs will be reimbursed the base PCA hourly rate of $19.50 for unscheduled PTO hours submitted on the DCW timesheet. If a DCW is also a PCA and wishes to take unscheduled PTO during hours they are not scheduled to work, then they should submit those hours through the PCA EVV system instead of the DCW timesheet.
Spring 2026
EVV
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a timekeeping system used to electronically verify that in-home service providers have delivered services as billed. EVV is a federal requirement for certain Medicaid-funded services. Coming in Spring 2026, waiver participants who self-direct their services will need to use EVV to submit timesheets to Tempus FI for each DCW. Tempus FI will require each waiver participant and DCW to provide an email address to use the EVV system. Waiver participants and DCWs who do not have an email address on file with Tempus FI will receive a postcard in the coming months. The postcard will give DCWs instructions on how to submit an email address so they can use EVV.
Taxes until such time as the exclusion has been processed into the payroll system. Once the application has been processed, payroll will be processed with prospective payments tax exempted.
New Hire Paperwork
The new hire process will now require Waiver Participant-employers to submit copies of their DCW’s employment authorization documentation (EADs) when submitting Form I-9, which is already required.
Newly hired DCWs’ identity and employment eligibility will be verified using E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that allows employers to electronically verify the identity and employment eligibility of new hires by submitting information from the employee’s Form I-9. DCW employment eligibility verification will be managed by Tempus Unlimited Fiscal Intermediary (Tempus FI).
Questions?
Email [email protected].