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Direct Care Workforce Base Wage

Qualifying Services     Reporting and Compliance     History

Effective January 1, 2025, the Base Wage requirement remains at $17.00 per hour for all direct care workers in Colorado’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) settings. In addition, the base wage requirement was increased to $18.81 per hour in Denver.

Learn more about the rights and responsibilities in the direct care industry

Learn more about Colorado's labor standards and minimum wage

Direct Care Workforce Compensation Research Final Report - May 2024

For more information, email HCPF_basewage@state.co.us
 

Base Wage Qualifying Services

Direct Care Workers are defined as non-administrative employees or independent contractors of a Provider Agency or Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS) employer who provides hands-on care, services, and support to older adults and individuals with disabilities across the long-term services and supports continuum within home and community-based settings. Services requiring Direct Care Workers to be paid at least the base wage include:  

  • Adult Day Services
  • Alternative Care Facility (ACF)
  • Community Connector
  • Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS)
  • Foster Care Home (Children’s Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP) waiver)
  • Group Home Habilitation (CHRP waiver)
  • Group Residential Support Services (GRSS)
  • Homemaker
  • Homemaker Enhanced
  • Host Home (CHRP)
  • In-Home Support Services (IHSS)
  • Individual Residential Support Services (IRSS)
  • Job Coaching
  • Job Development
  • Mental Health Transitional Living Homes
  • Mentorship
  • Pediatric Personal Care
  • Personal Care
  • Prevocational Services
  • Respite
  • Specialized Habilitation
  • Supported Community Connections
  • Supported Living Program

In the event that a Direct Care Worker, based on state or local minimum wage laws, is eligible for a minimum wage that exceeds the base wage requirement, the Provider is required to compensate at the higher wage. If a Direct Care Worker is eligible for a per diem wage, the Provider must increase the Direct Care Worker’s per diem wage by the percentage of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) reimbursement rate increase. HCPF may add additional qualifying services that are applicable to this rule and not listed above.
 

Reporting and Compliance

While there is no increase to the direct care worker base wage planned for 2025—aside from the January 1, 2025 increase in Denver's minimum wage—the attestation process will continue to capture compliance. HCBS providers that have not submitted the required attestation form by the due date will be publicly posted, and claim payments will be suspended.  Providers who fail to meet reporting or base wage requirements may be subject to audits, corrective actions, claim payment suspensions, or recoupment.

Information about the 2025 attestation process and timelines will be released through Informational and Operational Memos beginning in May 2025. Messaging will also be shared in the Provider Bulletin and the OCL Long-Term Services and Supports newsletter as we approach the reporting date.

View the Direct Care Workforce Base Wage FAQ - June 2025

HCBS Waiver Direct Care Workforce Wage Compliance Oversight

HCPF is responsible for ensuring Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver providers with direct care workers (DCW) comply with HCPF rules and regulations found in 10 CCR 2505-10, Section 8.7418.

HCPF performs wage compliance reviews on the following:

  • HCBS waiver providers’ payment of the legislated minimum base wage to their direct care workers.​
  • HCBS waiver providers’ compliance with various federal and state regulations.​

Providers are required to maintain all documentation at the facility for seven years. HCPF reviews are conducted on a rotating basis. ​

Base Wage Attestations

HCBS waiver providers submit required base wage attestations to HCPF.  The submission of Attestation Forms is independent of wage compliance reviews.

HCPF is responsible for:​

  • Updating HCPF rules and regulations​
  • Ensuring providers submit completed attestation forms as required.
  • Utilizing payment holds if attestation forms are not submitted by the deadline.
  • Updating providers on current minimum base wage information

Base Wage Attestation questions?  Email: HCPF_BaseWage@state.co.us 

Base Wage Compliance Reviews

HCBS waiver wage compliance reviews verify that the minimum base wage is paid to a provider’s direct care workers and verify that providers comply with various regulations. 

HCPF is responsible for:

  • Ensuring providers pay the minimum base wage​
  • Utilizing corrective action plans and other enforcement actions to ensure compliance

Base Wage Compliance Reviews questions?  Email: HCPF_WageCompliance_FCU@state.co.us 

Resources

Base Wage History

 2022202320242025
Statewide$15.00/hr$15.75/hr$17.00/hr$17.00/hr
Denver$15.87/hr$17.29/hr$18.29/hr$18.81/hr


On January 1, 2022, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) approved a $15.00 per hour base wage requirement for all direct care workers. HCBS providers were required to notify their direct care workers of the wage increase. In 2023, the base wage increased and was expanded to include the Children’s Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP) Waiver, and the base wage was increased again in 2024. 

In 2022, HCPF began requiring all Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) providers to submit a Wage Attestation form annually, confirming compliance with the base wage increase and per diem rate adjustments for Individual Residential Services and Supports (IRSS) direct care workers.
 

View the following HCPF memo communications, which outline this requirement and process:

Letter from Gov. Polis: Notice of New Base Wage Requirement for Direct Care Workers - December 15, 2021 
 

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