Refer a member for AFC or GAFC
A direct line for primary care practices, hospital discharge teams, ACO and MCO care managers, housing partners, and community organizations. Skip the family contact form — this page routes straight to our intake and referral team.
Referral channels
Use whichever route fits your workflow. All referrals reach the same intake team.
Secure fax
(888) 801-3216
For referral forms and clinical documentation
Response time
one business day
We contact the member or family, then confirm back to you
Downloadable referral form
A one-page AFC/GAFC referral form covering program, member details, care needs, and referring provider. Print it, complete it, and return it by secure fax.
Protected health information. Our web form and general email are not secure channels. Please send only the member’s name and a callback number through them. Transmit diagnoses, medications, MassHealth identification numbers, or other clinical documentation by secure fax, or call us and we will arrange a compliant channel. If your organization requires a business associate agreement or a secure portal, tell us and we will accommodate it.
Members who tend to be a good fit
If a patient comes to mind while reading this list, it's worth a call. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
- A MassHealth member who needs physical assistance, cueing, or supervision with at least one activity of daily living
- A patient at risk of avoidable placement in a facility who could remain safely at home with daily support
- A patient whose family member is already providing unpaid daily care and could be trained, supervised, and compensated
- A member in approved senior or supportive housing who needs scheduled personal care with nurse oversight
- A patient being discharged home who needs a durable daily care arrangement, not only short-term services
AFC and GAFC at a glance
The two programs differ on age, coverage, setting, and who provides the care. Final eligibility is always subject to MassHealth and health-plan verification.
Adult Foster Care (AFC)
- Age
- Age 16 or older
- Coverage
- Enrolled in an eligible MassHealth plan, or eligible to enroll
- Setting
- The member and the paid caregiver must live together in the member's or caregiver's private home
- Care provided by
- A qualified adult child, sibling, other relative, or trusted non-relative may serve as the paid caregiver. A spouse or legal guardian cannot serve as the paid AFC caregiver.
Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC)
- Age
- Age 22 or older
- Coverage
- Qualifies for MassHealth Standard or CommonHealth
- Setting
- Lives in an eligible group or supportive housing setting, such as certain senior apartment communities
- Care provided by
- Personal care is delivered by agency-employed direct care workers with registered-nurse oversight, not by a live-in family caregiver.
Service area: Springfield, the Pioneer Valley, and verified communities across western and central Massachusetts. See the full coverage map.
Partners we work with every week
Primary care & specialty practices
PCPs, geriatricians, neurologists, and practice care managers who see a patient struggling with daily activities at home.
Hospital & rehab discharge teams
Discharge planners and case managers arranging a safe return home for a patient who needs daily hands-on support.
ACO / MCO & community partners
Health-plan care managers, ASAPs, councils on aging, housing staff, and community organizations supporting members at home.
From referral to care
You'll know where your referral stands. Enrollment timing varies — services begin only after eligibility, clinical review, required authorization, and onboarding are complete.
Send the referral
Call, email, or fax us the member's name and a callback number. Do not send clinical detail through unsecured email — see the note below.
We reach out
Our intake team contacts the member or family within one business day, verifies MassHealth coverage, and explains which program may fit.
Assessment & authorization
A registered nurse completes an in-home assessment, we obtain physician documentation, and we pursue any required authorization.
We close the loop
We confirm back to you whether the member enrolled, and coordinate with the ordering provider on the plan of care going forward.
Have a patient who could stay home with the right support?
Send us a name and a number. We’ll take it from there and report back on where the referral lands.