Palco
Palco is a privately-held Financial Management Services company administering Medicaid HCBS self-direction programs across 12+ U.S. states. It processes over $1B in self-direction wages annually for participants with disabilities, older adults, and veterans, via its CMP, Intake, and Connect cloud platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersLittle Rock, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Palco does
Palco, Inc. is a privately-held Financial Management Services (FMS) company that administers Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) self-direction programs on behalf of state agencies and managed care organizations. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Palco operates as a Financial Employer Agent (F/EA), handling payroll, tax withholding and filing, billing, and regulatory compliance for participants who direct their own care. The company serves individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, older adults, individuals with chronic conditions, families, caregivers, and veterans served through VA Medical Center partnerships. According to company disclosures, Palco supports over 100,000 Americans across 12+ state programs and processes more than $1B in self-direction dollars annually.
Palco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Palco
- Legal name
- Palco, Inc.
- Website
- https://palcofirst.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Palco is a privately-held Financial Management Services company administering Medicaid HCBS self-direction programs across 12+ U.S. states. It processes over $1B in self-direction wages annually for participants with disabilities, older adults, and veterans, via its CMP, Intake, and Connect cloud platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Palco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medicaid Financial Management Services
- NAICS
- Professional Employer Organizations (56133), Payroll Services (541214), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Directed/Consumer-Directed Caregiver Enrollment & Payroll Support (HSABAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Managed Care Entity Administration for Medicaid (MCO/PHP/PIHP/PAHP) (HLAEAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Palco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Little Rock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Palco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Financial Management Services (FMS): Palco provides FMS for Medicaid HCBS waiver programs, handling payroll, tax withholding/filing, compliance oversight, and billing administration for self-directing participants. Revenue generated through service fees paid by state Medicaid programs or MCOs per participant served.
- Support Brokerage Services: Ongoing coaching and guidance services to help participants manage services, complete required tasks, set goals, and confidently manage their own services. Provided alongside FMS or as standalone service.
- Wages Now (Early Wage Access): Early wage access service allowing workers to access up to 50% of wages already earned before payday through Money Network Card. No fees for workers or employers; processed through existing payroll system.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wages Now early wage access - no cost to workers or employers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Palco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Palco provides Financial Management Services (FMS) for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) self-direction programs, handling payroll, tax withholding/filing/payments, compliance oversight, and billing administration for participants who direct their own care. The offering combines managed FMS, Support Broker Navigation coaching, and integrated cloud-based technology platforms (Case Management Platform, Intake, Connect) to serve state Medicaid agencies, managed care organizations, and veterans programs across 12+ states.
Product overview
Palco is a platform-plus-modules architecture combining Financial Management Services (FMS) with integrated digital technology platforms. The core FMS product handles payroll, taxes, billing, and compliance for Medicaid HCBS self-direction programs. This is supplemented by Support Broker Navigation for coaching and PalCare as a job board marketplace. The technology suite includes three integrated platforms: CMP (Case Management Platform) for program oversight and record management, Intake for digital enrollment, and Connect for EVV/time tracking/payroll. Additional modules include Wages Now (early wage access), Palco Health Analytics (SDoH screening), and Maternal Health Services. The platforms serve participants, workers, case managers, and program administrators across 12+ state programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PalCare: Self-direction job board connecting participants seeking caregivers with workers looking for meaningful roles.
- Palco Health Analytics
- Wages Now
- CMP (Case Management Platform)
- Intake
- Connect
- Palco Vesta
- AuthentiCare
Products and services
- Financial Management Services (FMS) Handles payroll, tax withholding/filing/payments, compliance oversight, and financial administration for self-direction Medicaid HCBS programs. Manages hiring workers, budget tracking, and required program documentation for state Medicaid agencies, MCOs, and self-directing participants.
- Support Broker Navigation Ongoing coaching and guidance service helping participants manage services, understand program rules, complete required tasks, set goals, and confidently self-direct care. Includes budget education, recruiting and hiring assistance, and emergency backup planning, delivered alongside FMS or as a standalone service.
- PalCare Job Board Free self-direction job board connecting participants seeking caregivers with workers. Includes keyword candidate search, applicant tracking, user-friendly dashboards, and job posting tools to address caregiver recruitment challenges in HCBS programs.
- Wages Now Early Wage Access Early wage access service enabling workers to access up to 50% of wages already earned before payday via Money Network Card, with no fees for workers or employers and processed through the existing payroll system.
- Palco Health Analytics - Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Social Determinants of Health screening and coordination integrated into FMS operations. Enables customizable multi-lingual assessments, real-time referrals, and ICD-10 Z-code reporting to drive better health outcomes for MCOs, states, and payers.
- Maternal Health Services (Palco Vesta) Maternal Support Navigation Hub providing high-touch guidance for pregnant and postpartum women with referral and screening, personalized care plans, integrated coordination, and resource navigation connecting mothers with community health workers, doulas, and lactation consultants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% EVV compliance rate
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Palco
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Palco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
Palco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Chanda Center for HealthcoreThe Chanda Center for Health partnered with Palco to offer a remote option for eligible CIH Waiver members who reside outside a 30-mile radius of their Lakewood, CO clinic. Palco provides enrollment, management, and payment facilitation for massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture services.
- ConduentcorePalco supports Conduent and the New Mexico Human Services Department with the Mi Via program and Self-Directed Community Benefit (SDCB). Conduent provides the state's enrollment system while Palco handles FMS.
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center (New Mexico)corePartnership with the VA Medical Center and New Mexico Aging and Disability Resource Center for Veterans-Directed HCBS program serving veterans across New Mexico.
- Council on Aging of Southwestern OhiocorePartnership with the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio for Veterans-Directed HCBS program serving veterans in southwestern Ohio.
- Sunflower Health Plan (Centene Corporation)coreSunflower Health Plan, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, partners with Palco to provide FMS services for the Kansas WORK program under their managed care arrangement.
- Horizon NJ HealthcoreHorizon NJ Health partnered with Palco as the new Financial Management Agency for the Personal Preference Program (PPP) in New Jersey starting August 2025.
- UnitedHealthcare MichigancoreUnitedHealthcare Michigan partners with Palco to serve participants in Regions 8, 10, and 12 for self-direction program services.
- Montgomery County, OhiocorePalco partners with Montgomery County for the ComCare program serving residents over age 60 who need limited assistance to remain independent at home.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves17 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Palco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GT Independence: Financial Management Services provider for Medicaid self-direction programs with multi-state presence. Directly comparable in terms of F/EA services, participant onboarding, and support broker offerings.
- Public Partnerships LLC (PPL): Aetna/CVS-owned Financial Management Services provider for Medicaid HCBS self-direction programs nationwide. Direct competitor to Palco across state RFPs and MCO contracts, with materially larger scale and strategic capital backing.
- Mains'l Services: Specialized FMS provider for self-directed Medicaid programs (Aging and Disability waivers) with multi-state coverage. Closely comparable F/EA operating model and customer base to Palco.
- Careforth: Provider of self-direction and family caregiving infrastructure for Medicaid and VA programs, combining caregiver coaching with FMS-style services. Comparable to Palco's Support Broker Navigation and self-direction platform.
- Acumen Fiscal Agent: Fiscal/Employer-Agent for self-directed Medicaid programs across several states. Direct competitor on FMS for HCBS waivers, with overlapping participant and MCO customer profiles.
- Consumer Direct Care Network (CDCN): National F/EA serving self-directed Medicaid and VA HCBS programs across multiple states. Competes head-to-head with Palco on state procurements, participant enrollment, and caregiver payroll.
Broad incumbents
- HHAeXchange: Leading home care agency and EVV/payer management platform serving Medicaid managed care plans and home care providers. Adjacent competitor that pairs with or competes against Palco's Connect EVV module in MCO workflows.
- BrightSpring Health Services: Large diversified provider of home and community-based services including pharmacy, home health, and behavioral health with broad Medicaid exposure. Operates in overlapping HCBS programs where Palco provides FMS.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Palco social profiles
Digital presencePalco compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Palco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Palco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Palco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Palco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Palco
What does Palco do?
Palco provides Financial Management Services (FMS) for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) self-direction programs, handling payroll, tax withholding/filing/payments, compliance oversight, and billing administration for participants who direct their own care. The offering combines managed FMS, Support Broker Navigation coaching, and integrated cloud-based technology platforms (Case Management Platform, Intake, Connect) to serve state Medicaid agencies, managed care organizations, and veterans programs across 12+ states.
Is Palco a public or private company?
Palco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Palco founded?
Palco was founded in 1993. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Palco based?
Palco is headquartered in Little Rock, United States, in the North America region.
How does Palco make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Financial Management Services (FMS) is the primary driver. The others are support Brokerage Services and wages Now (Early Wage Access).
Who are Palco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GT Independence, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), Mains'l Services, Careforth, Acumen Fiscal Agent and Consumer Direct Care Network (CDCN). Broad incumbents are HHAeXchange and BrightSpring Health Services.
Does Palco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Palco.
What industry is Palco in?
Palco's product category is Medicaid Financial Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAMAI, Self-Directed/Consumer-Directed Caregiver Enrollment & Payroll Support, with a secondary code of HLAEAEAJ, Managed Care Entity Administration for Medicaid (MCO/PHP/PIHP/PAHP). Its NAICS code is 56133 and its SIC code is 8000.