CDHCI in Leduc, Alberta: 2026 Rate, Eligibility & Steps

If a doctor, a hospital discharge planner or a friend mentioned “CDHCI,” you may be wondering what it is and whether it can help your family. Client Directed Home Care Invoicing (CDHCI) is a publicly funded Alberta program that lets you choose the home care agency that delivers your approved hours. The agency bills Alberta Blue Cross directly, and you pay what the program doesn’t cover.

Two things changed recently. Home care assessments are now run by Assisted Living Alberta (ALA), the provincial agency that took over the role Alberta Health Services (AHS) used to play, so you’ll still see “AHS” on older pages. And on October 1, 2026, the hourly rate Alberta Blue Cross pays agencies rose to $35.03. This guide explains how CDHCI works for families in Leduc, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Spruce Grove and nearby communities, what it covers, what you may still pay, and how to get started.

CDHCI at a glance

What it is: a publicly funded way to choose your own registered home care agency.
Who decides your hours: an ALA case manager, after an assessment in your home.
Who pays the agency: Alberta Blue Cross, up to your authorized monthly hours, at up to $35.03 an hour (from October 1, 2026).
What you pay: the difference between your agency’s hourly rate and $35.03, plus anything outside the program (listed below).
Where it applies: care in your own home, not in a lodge, supportive living or group home.

What is CDHCI?

Alberta’s publicly funded home care comes in three models. In the first two, care is delivered by public staff or by a contracted agency assigned to you. In the third, called CDHCI, you choose a provider from the agencies registered with Alberta Blue Cross.

With CDHCI, you (or a family member you name as your “CDHCI manager”) direct your care. The agency employs the caregivers, builds the schedule and bills Alberta Blue Cross for your approved hours. That’s different from self-managed care, where you hire and pay caregivers yourself.

What changed in 2026

A new name for the gatekeeper. ALA was established in 2025 and now assesses home care needs and authorizes CDHCI hours. Calling 811 still connects you to the right office.
A higher hourly rate. Alberta Blue Cross pays up to $35.03 an hour as of October 1, 2026, up from $34.03 a year earlier. The rate applies to all services, including weekends and statutory holidays. Many online guides still show older figures.

Who qualifies for CDHCI?

According to ALA, you may be eligible if you:

have a valid Alberta Health Care number and live in a community setting, such as your own home
have been assessed by an ALA case manager and need home care
have a case manager who decides CDHCI suits your needs
are willing and able to direct and monitor your care, or have a family member or friend who will act as your CDHCI manager

You don’t need an Alberta Blue Cross plan. CDHCI generally isn’t available if you live in a lodge, private assisted or supportive living, a group home, or a home owned by the agency providing care. Exceptions are decided case by case.

What CDHCI pays for and what it doesn’t

Funded, as authorized in your care plan:

Personal care: help with hygiene, dressing, toileting, moving and transferring, home exercises, nutrition, medication assistance and respiratory care.
Homemaking: essential tasks such as cleaning the bathroom, dishes, laundry, vacuuming and garbage. It must go along with personal care or respite and may be limited.
Respite care: day, evening or night care that gives a family caregiver a real break.

Not funded by CDHCI:

Hours beyond your monthly authorization. Unused hours don’t carry over to the next month.
Any amount an agency charges above $35.03 an hour. You pay the difference.
Agency minimum-visit time. If an agency requires a 2- or 3-hour minimum, ALA doesn’t grant extra hours to cover it.
Charges that aren’t direct care: administration, mileage, travel time, supplies, equipment, late or cancellation fees, and extra holiday or overtime charges.
Time in hospital or a facility respite bed, and any services before your approval start date or after it ends.
Care outside your zone without prior approval, or outside Alberta.
Nursing and therapy, which the public system arranges separately.

Social companionship or errands on their own aren’t listed as funded service types. Many families add them as private hours. Ask your case manager exactly how your authorization is worded.

What will CDHCI actually cost you?

Here’s the formula:

Your monthly cost = (agency hourly rate − $35.03) × authorized hours + full agency rate × any extra hours + non-covered charges.

Illustration only. Your hours are set by your assessment, and agency rates vary.

Example	Amount
Authorized hours	40 per month
Agency hourly rate	$41.00
Alberta Blue Cross pays (40 × $35.03)	$1,401.20
You pay the difference (40 × $5.97)	$238.80
10 extra private hours (10 × $41.00)	$410.00
Your total for the month	$648.80

Alberta Blue Cross’s public service-zone map lists each registered agency’s estimated hourly rate, minimum consecutive hours per visit and languages, so you can compare before you choose. Ask any agency for a copy of each claim statement it submits, so you can see what was billed. We will confirm our current hourly rate and minimum visit length in writing before care starts.

How to start CDHCI in Leduc and area

Edmonton Zone communities such as Leduc, Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, call +1-780-496-1300 For Central Zone communities such as Camrose, Wetaskiwin and Ponoka, call +1-855-371-4122 . Family, friends, neighbours or health professionals can call for you, and you don’t need a doctor’s referral.
Have the assessment at home. A case manager assesses needs, builds your care plan and sets your maximum monthly hours. Tell them you’re interested in CDHCI. They decide whether it’s suitable.
Sign the paperwork. You’ll sign a Consent to Disclose Information form for Alberta Blue Cross and a CDHCI Letter of Agreement. Alberta Blue Cross then sends an approval letter with your authorized hours, start date and customer number.
Choose your agency. Pick one from the Alberta Blue Cross registered list. You can switch agencies at any time.
Start care once approved. Services bought before your approval start date aren’t reimbursed. The agency schedules visits, bills Alberta Blue Cross and invoices you for your share.
Keep your case manager updated. Tell them about changes in health, a hospital stay, a new address, or a gap with no agency. Reassessments can adjust your hours.

CDHCI, standard public home care and self-managed care

	Standard public home care	CDHCI	Self-managed care
Who provides care	Public staff or a contracted agency assigned to you	An agency you choose from the Alberta Blue Cross list	Caregivers you hire
Who employs the caregivers	The public provider or contractor	The agency	You
Your choice of provider	Limited	High	Highest, with the most responsibility
Billing	Handled by the public system	Agency bills Alberta Blue Cross; you pay your share	You pay caregivers from the funds you receive

Your responsibilities as a CDHCI client or manager

Direct care according to your care plan.
Have a backup plan if a caregiver is away.
Pay the agency for anything above your authorized hours and the maximum hourly rate.
Tell ALA about changes in your condition, hospitalizations, time away from the province and periods with no agency.
Tell ALA and Alberta Blue Cross about changes in your address or contact information.

How to choose a CDHCI provider: 8 questions to ask

ALA says it doesn’t evaluate or guarantee the quality of the agencies on the Alberta Blue Cross list, and CDHCI providers aren’t currently required to follow Alberta’s Continuing Care Health Service Standards. That makes your questions important.

Are you registered with Alberta Blue Cross, and is your current rate listed?
Are your caregivers your employees, and what training do they have? Are they registered Health Care Aides? (The program doesn’t require it.)
Do caregivers have a recent criminal record check with a vulnerable sector search? (Alberta Blue Cross requires it.)
Who plans and supervises care? Is a nurse involved? Who do I call after hours?
What happens when a caregiver is sick or on vacation?
What will I pay per hour above $35.03, and are there fees for travel, cancellations or holidays?
Will you give me a written care plan and copies of your claim statements?
How do you handle concerns? If a problem isn’t resolved, you can contact the Continuing Care Licensing Office at +1-888-357-9339 (option 3) or Alberta’s Health Advocate at +1-780-422-1812 .

How Home Instead Leduc answers

Registered with Alberta Blue Cross? Yes. Home Instead Leduc is a registered CDHCI provider and bills Alberta Blue Cross directly, so you never submit claims yourself. Our current hourly rate, minimum visit length and languages are listed on the Alberta Blue Cross service-zone map.
Caregivers and training. Our Care Pros are regularly trained, and our Health Care Aide roles require registration on the Alberta Health Care Aide Directory plus CPR and First Aid.
Criminal record checks. Yes. Alberta Blue Cross requires every caregiver to have a clear criminal record check that includes a vulnerable sector search, and no caregiver can be a member of your family.
Planning and supervision. A Registered Nurse Director of Care and LPN Care Managers guide care planning, education and ongoing communication with your family. After hours you can call to this number: +1 587-686-8211
Sick days and vacations. Your case manager will also expect you to have a backup plan, so we’ll talk it through with you before care starts.
What you pay above $35.03. Our hourly rate is $41, so you pay $5.97 an hour above what Alberta Blue Cross covers. Travel, cancellation and holiday fees: “none”. We confirm every rate and fee in writing before care starts.
Care plan and claim statements. Yes. We build a written care plan with you and adjust it as needs change, and we give you a copy of every claim statement we submit, as Alberta Blue Cross requires.
Concerns. Call our Leduc office first at +1 587-686-8211. If a concern isn’t resolved, you can always contact the Continuing Care Licensing Office or Alberta’s Health Advocate.

Where Home Instead Leduc fits

Home Instead Leduc is a registered CDHCI provider that bills Alberta Blue Cross directly. We serve Leduc, Spruce Grove, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Stony Plain, Ponoka and surrounding communities, with offices in Leduc and Camrose. Many families use CDHCI hours for personal care and respite, then add private hours for companionship, errands or longer visits. We’ll walk you through what is and isn’t covered before care begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CDHCI free?

Not always. Alberta Blue Cross pays your agency up to $35.03 an hour for your authorized hours. You pay any difference between that and your agency’s rate, plus anything the program doesn’t cover.

How many hours can I get?

Your ALA case manager sets your maximum monthly hours after a standardized assessment. There is no fixed number, and agencies can’t predict your hours.

Can a family member be my paid caregiver under CDHCI?

No. Alberta Blue Cross requires that caregivers are employed or retained by the agency and are not family members of the client.

Can I change agencies?

Yes. You can switch to another registered agency at any time.

Do I need an Alberta Blue Cross plan?

No. You only need to qualify through your home care assessment.

What happens if my loved one goes into hospital?

CDHCI doesn’t pay for time in hospital. Tell your case manager, and know that CDHCI eligibility ends if your loved one moves into a continuing care home.

Does CDHCI cover companionship or errands?

Not as stand-alone services. Funded categories are personal care, homemaking and respite. Many families pay privately for the rest.

Who do I call to start?

Call 811 or your zone’s Home and Community Care line, then ask about CDHCI during your assessment.

Talk with a local care team

Not sure where to begin? Book a free care consultation and we’ll help you understand your options, even if you’re still waiting on an assessment. Call +1 587-686-8211 or request a consultation. We’re at 4812c 43A Avenue #214, Leduc, AB T9E 1P3, and we serve Leduc, Spruce Grove, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Stony Plain, Ponoka and surrounding communities.

Program rules and rates change. Confirm current details with your case manager and Alberta Blue Cross. Home Instead Leduc is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Assisted Living Alberta, Alberta Health Services or Alberta Blue Cross. This article is general information, not medical or legal advice.

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