Self-Direction and FMS in District of Columbia
Self-Direction and FMS in District of Columbia
All states: self-direction map
In short: One contracted fiscal/employer agent, GT Independence, serves both self-directed programs: Services My Way (EPD waiver) and My Life, My Way (IFS waiver).
District of Columbia self-direction at a glance
| Self-directed programs | Services My Way (EPD Waiver) and My Life, My Way (IFS Waiver) |
|---|---|
| FMS model | Vendor fiscal/employer agent (VF/EA) with support broker |
| FMS vendors | One District-wide vendor: GuardianTrac, doing business as GT Independence |
| Who is the employer | The participant or an authorized representative is the common law employer |
| Can family be paid | Yes, with limits. Not a spouse, another legally responsible relative, a court-appointed guardian or the authorized representative. |
| EVV for self-directed workers | Yes. Required in both programs. |
| Budget authority | Yes, in both programs |
Last verified against state sources: 2026-10-13.
Which Medicaid programs in Washington DC offer self-direction?
The District of Columbia offers self-direction in two Medicaid waiver programs: Services My Way and My Life, My Way. The District calls the option participant-directed services. Both programs give the participant employer authority and budget authority, and both use the same financial management model and the same vendor. In both, the participant must live in their own home or with family.
- Services My Way (Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities Waiver): serves older adults (65 and over) and adults 18 and over with physical disabilities who are enrolled in the EPD Waiver, a 1915(c) waiver. The participant must live in their own home or in the home of a family member or friend. It is run by the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), Long Term Care Administration, under 29 DCMR Chapter 101. There are two self-directed services. Participant-Directed Community Supports (PDCS) is similar to personal care aide services and comes with both employer authority and budget authority. Individual-Directed Goods and Services comes with budget authority only.
- My Life, My Way (Individual and Family Support Waiver): serves District residents age 18 and over with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are enrolled in the IFS Waiver, a 1915(c) waiver, and live in their natural home. It is run by the Department on Disability Services (DDS), Developmental Disabilities Administration, under 29 DCMR Chapter 111. The participant has both employer authority and budget authority. The services that can be self-directed are Companion 1:1, Individualized Day Supports 1:1, In-Home Supports, Respite and Individual-Directed Goods and Services. The waiver amendment that added the program took effect October 1, 2022.
Employer authority means the participant recruits, hires, schedules and supervises the workers. Budget authority means the participant also manages a set amount of money for the services. People served by the District's other developmental disabilities waiver (the IDD waiver) must move to the IFS Waiver in order to self-direct, according to the DDS participant-directed services procedure.
EPD Waiver participants who get their care through the District Dual Choice health plan reach Services My Way through their care management team, not through a separate program. To ask about Services My Way, DHCF tells people to talk with their EPD Waiver or Dual Choice case manager. People who are not yet in the EPD Waiver are told to call the Department of Aging and Community Living at 202-724-5626.
Who handles financial management services (FMS) in Washington DC?
One company handles financial management services for both District programs: GuardianTrac, which does business as GT Independence. The District uses a vendor fiscal/employer agent (VF/EA) model, which means the vendor runs payroll and taxes while the participant or an authorized representative stays the legal employer of the workers. District rules call for a single, District-wide vendor chosen by DHCF, so participants do not pick among FMS vendors.
A fiscal/employer agent is the organization that handles the paperwork side of being an employer. It processes the workers' time, pays them and files the employer taxes on the participant's behalf. In the District the same organization is also the support broker, so the rules call it the VF/EA FMS-Support Broker entity. A support broker is a person who helps the participant learn the employer role and manage the budget.
- Legal employer: the participant, or an authorized representative acting for the participant, is the common law employer (also called the employer of record) in both programs.
- Authorized representatives: an authorized representative is not paid for that role and cannot also be a paid worker for the same participant.
- Vendor by program: a DHCF bulletin dated November 2, 2022 says DHCF awarded the contract to GT Independence on October 17, 2022, covering Services My Way in the EPD Waiver and My Life, My Way in the IFS Waiver.
- How it is paid for: financial management and support brokerage are paid as administrative activities. They are not waiver services and do not come out of the participant's budget as a service.
Note: The vendor name comes from the DHCF bulletin of November 2022. We did not find a later DHCF or DDS document that names the vendor, and we did not find a published contract end date. To confirm the current vendor, ask DHCF or DDS.
Pay rates are set by the participant within limits. In Services My Way the participant sets the worker's hourly wage, which must be at least the District living wage and no more than the rate DHCF pays for personal care aide services. In My Life, My Way the wage for In-Home Supports must be at least the District living wage and no more than the agency rate for the same service, counting employment taxes and insurance.
Who can be a paid caregiver under self-direction in Washington DC?
Participants in both programs can hire family members and friends, with firm exceptions. A paid worker cannot be the participant's spouse, another legally responsible relative, a court-appointed guardian or the participant's authorized representative. Parents of adult children are allowed to be paid workers.
- Services My Way: the rule at 29 DCMR 10103 lets family members and other individuals be participant-directed workers, except a spouse, another legally responsible relative or a court-appointed guardian. The rule says parents of adult children are not treated as legally responsible relatives, so they can be hired.
- My Life, My Way: the rule at 29 DCMR 11107.7 sets the same limits: family members may be paid workers, except a spouse, another legally responsible relative or a court-appointed guardian. Parents of adult children are allowed. The DDS fact sheet adds that parents cannot be the worker for a minor child.
- Authorized representatives: in both programs, a person who serves as the authorized representative cannot also be paid as that participant's worker.
Daily hours are capped. Services My Way limits Participant-Directed Community Supports to 16 hours a day, and any further hours (up to 8) must come from a home health agency under the State Plan. My Life, My Way limits In-Home Supports to 8 hours a day outside emergencies. We did not find an overtime rule for participant-directed workers in the rule sections we read. For questions about overtime or weekly limits, ask the support broker or the program's case manager.
Does EVV apply to self-directed workers in Washington DC?
Yes. Electronic visit verification (EVV) applies to self-directed workers in both District programs. Services My Way participants who receive Participant-Directed Community Supports must comply with federal and District EVV requirements under 29 DCMR 10102.12. In My Life, My Way the worker must complete EVV for Respite Hourly and In-Home Supports.
- Services My Way: DHCF's EVV FAQ says participants and their workers must use the District's EVV system (Sandata is the District's EVV contractor) so the worker is paid, and that without it the FMS cannot process timesheets. That FAQ text dates from about 2020 and still names the earlier FMS vendor, so treat the pay rule as the District's stated position and confirm how it is applied today.
- My Life, My Way: the DDS procedure requires the participant-directed worker to complete EVV for Respite Hourly and In-Home Supports, and 29 DCMR 11106.18 requires In-Home Supports to comply with federal and District EVV requirements. The procedure does not name the system and does not say that pay depends on EVV.
Three points could not be confirmed. We did not find a source that says which tool self-directed workers use to check in and out today. We did not find a published EVV exemption for live-in workers. We also did not find a current statement on how EVV applies to Services My Way participants in District Dual Choice. For any of these, ask GT Independence customer support at 877.659.4500 or DHCF's EVV team at evvinfo@dc.gov.
What is changing next for self-direction in Washington DC?
We did not find an upcoming change to self-direction in the District as of the last check on October 13, 2026. No FMS vendor transition, new FMS solicitation or contract end date was found on DHCF pages. The rules for both programs have been amended recently, so readers should work from the current rule text.
- My Life, My Way rules: 29 DCMR Chapter 111 was amended by a final rulemaking published August 28, 2026 (73 DCR 012143). It touched the general provisions, the companion, day supports, in-home supports and respite sections, goods and services, and budget formulation. The family and wage rules described on this page come from the amended sections.
- Services My Way rules: the service description at 29 DCMR 10102 was amended by a final rulemaking published April 25, 2025 (72 DCR 004996).
We read the current rule sections but not the rulemaking notices, so this page does not list what each amendment changed. The current chapters are posted on the District's regulations site for Services My Way and My Life, My Way. The FMS contract term and option years are not published in any source we found, so ask DHCF if the contract timeline matters to your planning.
Get notified when District of Columbia self-direction rules change
Leave your email and we will let you know when District of Columbia changes its self-direction program, FMS vendors or rules. No newsletter, only changes for this state.
Who to ask about self-direction in District of Columbia
Questions about self-direction in District of Columbia are best put to the state. Start with DHCF: Participant-Directed Services (Services My Way). Published contact: My Life, My Way: Department on Disability Services (202) 730-1700. GT Independence customer support: 877.659.4500.
District of Columbia self-direction sources
- DHCF: Participant-Directed Services (Services My Way)
- DHCF: Long Term Care Administration bulletin on the FMS-Support Broker award (November 2, 2022)
- District of Columbia Municipal Regulations: Title 29, Chapter 101 (Services My Way)
- District of Columbia Municipal Regulations: Title 29, Chapter 111 (My Life, My Way)
- DDS: My Life, My Way program page
- DDS: Participant Directed Services Policy
- DDS: Participant Directed Services Procedure
- DDS: My Life, My Way fact sheet (2023)
- DHCF: EVV FAQs
Related reading
- Self-Directed Medicaid Home Care Services in 2026
- Understanding Self-Direction and FMS
- Self-Direction Fiscal Intermediary: A Guide for Participant-Directed Care
- 5 Big Challenges in Self-Directed Care And How FMS Providers Can Solve Them
- Self-direction in every state (map)
- District of Columbia EVV requirements
Other states with one statewide FMS vendor
Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. See every state on the self-direction map.
Page history
- October 13, 2026: Page rewritten and checked against state sources.
This page is a reference, not legal advice. State rules change, so confirm details with the state before you act on them.
Ankota provides software for FMS organizations and agencies that support self-direction. If you would like to talk through your program, contact Ankota or read more about Ankota's self-direction and FMS software.
View Another State
Questions about EVV?
EVV is still to be implemented in most of the states with different guidelines and regulations. We’re keeping up with the updates related to EVV implementation and if there is something we haven’t included, please share with us. To learn how ankota can help in ensuring compliance, please get in touch with us.
District of Columbia self-direction questions
Who is the FMS vendor for self-direction in Washington DC?
GuardianTrac, doing business as GT Independence, is the vendor fiscal/employer agent and support broker for both District programs. DHCF announced the award in a bulletin dated November 2, 2022. We did not find a later District document that names the vendor, so confirm with DHCF or DDS if you need the current contract status.
Can a spouse be paid as a caregiver under DC participant direction?
No. In both Services My Way and My Life, My Way, a spouse cannot be a paid participant-directed worker. The same rules bar other legally responsible relatives and court-appointed guardians.
Can a parent be paid to care for an adult child in the District?
Yes. District rules for both programs say parents of adult children can be paid workers, because they are not treated as legally responsible relatives. The DDS fact sheet for My Life, My Way says parents cannot be the worker for a minor child. A parent who is the court-appointed guardian or the authorized representative cannot be the paid worker.
Who is the employer in District of Columbia self-direction?
The participant is the common law employer, or an authorized representative takes that role for the participant. The fiscal intermediary, GT Independence, handles payroll and employer taxes as the employer's agent but does not employ the workers. An authorized representative is unpaid and cannot also be the paid worker.
Does EVV apply to self-directed workers in Washington DC?
Yes. Services My Way participants must comply with federal and District EVV requirements, and My Life, My Way workers must complete EVV for Respite Hourly and In-Home Supports. DHCF's EVV FAQ says that for Services My Way the FMS cannot process timesheets without EVV. We did not find a published exemption for live-in workers.
Do DC participants control a budget when they self-direct?
Yes. Both Services My Way and My Life, My Way give the participant budget authority as well as employer authority. In Services My Way, Individual-Directed Goods and Services comes with budget authority only. The participant sets the worker's wage between the District living wage and a program maximum.
Can participants choose their financial management services provider in the District?
No. District rules call for a single, District-wide fiscal/employer agent and support broker selected by DHCF through competitive procurement. The same vendor serves both consumer direction programs.
How do I sign up for Services My Way or My Life, My Way?
For Services My Way, DHCF says to talk with your EPD Waiver or Dual Choice case manager. If you are not yet in the EPD Waiver, call the Department of Aging and Community Living at 202-724-5626. For My Life, My Way, contact the Department on Disability Services at (202) 730-1700.