Financial Assessment
Last updated on July 15, 2019In B.C., the cost of most home and community care services is shared between the Ministry of Health and you, the person receiving services. The amount you are required to pay is called the client rate.
Your client rate may be based on your income or may be set as a fixed rate, depending on the home and community care service you receive.
If your client rate is income-based, an assessor will complete a financial assessment with you when you first apply. Your responsible assessor will use income information from your Notice of Assessment to complete a Financial Profile and Calculations Form (HLTH 1.6) to calculate your client rate.
As part of the Financial Profile and Calculations Form (HLTH 1.6), you will also be asked to provide your Social Insurance Number and give your consent for the Canada Revenue Agency to release your income information to the Ministry of Health. This requirement allows the ministry to calculate your client rate for each year that you receive home and community care services based on your most recent income information.
Please note: You must file your income taxes with the Canada Revenue Agency every year in order to be eligible for publicly subsidized home support services or to receive a publicly subsidized rate for assisted living, family care home, or long-term care services.
If payment of your assessed client rate would cause you or your family serious financial hardship, you may apply to your health authority for a temporary reduction of your client rate. For more information on eligibility and how to apply for a temporary reduction of your daily rate, please see:
For more general information on the costs of publicly subsidized home and community care services in B.C., please see:
If you split your income reporting with your spouse when you file your taxes with Canada Revenue Agency, this may affect your financial assessment. Learn more:
Your responsible assessor is a health authority employee who is responsible for completing your financial assessment(s). The name and/or contact information for your responsible assessor is included in the client rate notification letter that is mailed out in the fall of each year.