Starting a home care agency? Start here.
Starting a home care agency means working through several separate projects at once: choosing a service model, figuring out what your state requires, deciding who will pay for care, hiring caregivers, and setting up the paperwork that keeps visits and billing on track. None of it is one form or one phone call, and the rules differ from state to state.
This site helps new owners get oriented. Our free guides explain each piece in plain language and point you to official sources. When you're ready to organize your own work, we also sell a set of planning templates. You don't need to buy anything to use the guides.
Where are you right now?
"I'm still deciding what kind of agency to start."
Start with Non-medical home care vs. home health: how the licensing paths differ. Then read the planning overview for starting a home care agency.
"I want to serve Medicaid waiver clients."
Read How Medicaid waivers work, then How Medicaid waiver provider enrollment generally works.
"I'm working on money and risk."
See Startup budget categories and Insurance types to ask your broker about.
"I'm getting ready to hire and run visits."
See Writing a caregiver job post and hiring process and EVV basics.
"I want a week-by-week view."
Use the free 90-day startup checklist.
Three things worth knowing early
- Licensing, Medicaid enrollment, and payer contracts are different steps. Getting one doesn't give you the others.
- Your state's definitions decide almost everything. Other states' blog posts, fees, and timelines may not apply to you.
- Advisors still matter. A healthcare attorney, a CPA, and a licensed insurance broker will catch things no guide can.
Planning templates, if you want them
If you'd rather not build every checklist from a blank page, the Home Care / Medicaid Waiver Startup Pack ($199) is a download of editable templates organized around the same topics as our guides. It includes the owner ebook. It's for planning and organizing your own research. It doesn't contain state applications, and you'll still need your state's official forms and your advisors.
See what's in the Startup Pack →
Only want the reading? Start a Home Care Agency: The Owner's First 90 Days is available on its own for $19. Get the ebook on Gumroad · Etsy
About this site
Start a Home Care is an independent educational site. It's not a law firm, a consulting service, or a government agency. We earn money from our own products and from ads. Read more on the About page and in our Disclosures.