Basic Care Assistance Program (BCAP)

Generally speaking, anyone may apply for assistance. Eligible applicants will ordinarily reside in North Dakota. For additional information, please refer to the Basic Care Brochure (1.081Mb pdf).

To apply, contact a human service zone office. For contact information, click on the county closest to your home on the map. You may also view the Application for Assistance. Completing the application before going to a human service zone office may help to shorten the eligibility determination process.

The Human Service Zone Office staff can assist you in the completion of the Application for Assistance and answer any questions you may have regarding the program.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) follows federal and state laws on privacy. Only those whose job requires them to view your personal information in order to administer the programs, or process payments, have access to your information. Team members from HHS and Human Service Zone offices are bound by strict confidentiality rules that do not allow unauthorized disclosure of your personal information.

North Dakota Health and Human Services provides a wide range of programs and services. Learn more on the Financial Help page.

Basic Care Assistance Program (BCAP) recipients are allowed to keep $135 for personal needs and, in some cases, additional amounts to cover health insurance and medical costs. Generally, all other income the individual receives goes toward the cost of care. BCAP pays the difference for those who cannot pay the full cost of their care.

BCAP helps aged, blind or disabled people, who need services in a licensed, basic care facility, to pay for their care.

There are three main requirements for BCAP eligibility.

1) You must be at least age 18 and aged (65 or over), blind or disabled.

2) You must apply and qualify for North Dakota Medicaid.

3) You must have a functional assessment. That means a social worker will make a visit and determine what level of care is appropriate based on a person's ability to handle activities of daily living.

A functional assessment is an evaluation by a social worker of a person's ability to live independently.

A Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) case manager does the assessment.

Basic Care is appropriate for those who are not severely impaired in activities of daily living, transferring to or from a bed or chair, or eating. But those who have health, welfare, or safety needs or who are impaired in three of the four following instrumental activities of daily living:

• Preparing meals, doing housework, taking medications, or doing laundry may need services of a licensed, basic care facility.

State law allows a BCAP recipient to keep $135 per month for personal needs. All other income must be paid toward their care or health care costs.

You must qualify for North Dakota Medicaid. For those income and asset amounts, check the eligibility requirements of that program.

After allowing a person to keep $135 per month for personal needs, any other income is paid to the basic care facility or for health insurance and medical costs.

What care costs your income does not cover, the Basic Care Assistance Program pays directly to the basic care facility.