Starting a Louisiana Home Health or Personal Care Agency?

• Louisiana-licensed Home Health Agency — provides ordered skilled nursing and at least one qualifying home health service under LAC 48:I Chapter 91.
• Medicare-certified HHA — holds Louisiana licensure and completes federal enrollment, survey, and certification requirements.
• HCBS Personal Care Attendant provider — holds an HCBS license listing the PCA module after required Facility Need Review approval.

Home Health and personal assistance have different enrollment, service-scope, personnel, oversight, and continuing-compliance requirements.

Yes. Louisiana law prohibits opening, conducting, managing, or maintaining an organization that meets the HHA definition without an LDH license. The Health Standards Section administers initial licensure, renewal, surveys, and complaints.

The agency establishes its business, location, leadership, insurance, staffing, policies, and operations; submits the LDH HHA application and fee; completes Medicare enrollment through CMS-855A or PECOS; and becomes ready for the applicable state-agency or approved accreditation survey.

A Louisiana HHA provides skilled care under an authorized healthcare provider's order in the patient's residence. It provides skilled nursing and at least one qualifying therapy, medical social service, or home health aide service.

Only after the agency completes enrollment and certification requirements and receives an effective Medicare certification date. Louisiana Medicaid likewise will not pay for services furnished before provider-enrollment approval.

LDH's Health Standards Section licenses and surveys HHAs and performs applicable federal certification functions. CMS establishes Medicare requirements, and an approved accreditor may provide a deemed-status survey pathway.

No. LDH HHA licensure, Medicare certification, Louisiana Medicaid enrollment, and MCO credentialing are separate. Louisiana Medicaid requires providers that submit claims to enroll through the state provider portal.

The Personal Care Attendant module is the principal Louisiana HCBS license module for personal-care services. The provider may furnish only service modules listed on its license and must follow module-specific, Medicaid, waiver, participant-plan, and personnel requirements.

No. An HCBS PCA provider furnishes approved community-based support services. An HHA is separately licensed to provide ordered skilled nursing and qualifying home health services. The licenses and operating standards are different.

The PCA module requires Facility Need Review approval before submission of the HCBS license application. The applicant then submits the FNR approval letter, license application, fees, financial-viability evidence, ownership, policies, staffing, and other required documents to Health Standards.

Yes. HCBS providers must follow applicable criminal-background-check, Direct Service Worker Registry, exclusion, and employment-eligibility requirements. Results and required follow-up should be maintained in personnel records before assignment.

The HCBS license is valid for one year and must be renewed. LDH generally sends a notification before expiration, but the provider remains responsible for timely renewal materials, fees, continued compliance, and any required survey or corrective action.

• Logo creation and a customized WordPress website.
• One year of website hosting and domain registration.
• 500 business cards and 500 tri-fold brochures.
• Louisiana-specific policy manuals, human-resources documents, admission documents, and operational forms.
• LDH HHA licensure or HCBS PCA Facility Need Review and licensing preparation and, for the HHA package when selected, CMS enrollment and Medicare certification preparation.
• Members' area access, customization, ongoing guidance, and applicable updates.

No. State and federal filing fees, entity and business licensing, Medicare or Medicaid enrollment, accreditation, background checks, insurance, office, personnel, survey expenses, software, mailing, and other government or third-party costs are separate unless expressly included in writing.

Home Health Forms provides customized documents, startup guidance, and preparation assistance. LDH Health Standards, Facility Need Review, Louisiana Medicaid, CMS, survey organizations, accreditors, managed-care organizations, and payers make their own decisions. Applicants remain responsible for accurate information, financial viability, qualified personnel, fees, operational readiness, service delivery, billing, and ongoing compliance. Home Health Foms provides guidance and documents that meet regulatory requirements to ensure your success.

Customized policy manuals, forms, and related digital documents are generally emailed within five business days after all information needed for customization is received. Website development, printing, shipping, and other package components may have separate timelines.

Eligibility depends on work completed, customized materials produced, digital products delivered, third-party expenses paid, printing ordered, and other services already performed.