Starting a Tennessee Home Health or Personal Care Agency?

The cards show the certified home health, non-Medicare skilled home health, and non-medical personal care models. The Personal Support Services Agency model addresses personal care, while Home Care Organization providing Home Health Services is the state category for the skilled services described below. Match the approval route to the services and payers you plan to use.

The state contacts for the pathways on this page are Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Tennessee Health Facilities Commission. The personal care framework is Rules 0940-05-02 and 0940-05-38; the skilled framework is Rule Chapter 0720-27. The specific licensing, registration, designation, or program route depends on the services offered.

The Personal Support Services Agency license covers the non-medical personal support model. The TDMHSAS Office of Licensure is the route for agencies serving its covered populations, including people who need support because of aging. The application must identify the people and services the agency will serve.

For the TDMHSAS route, Tennessee lists an $810 annual licensing fee for one nonresidential distinct service category at one site. Additional categories or sites can increase the fee. The department invoices the applicable amount during licensing. Government fees are separate from our package.

Yes. Agencies primarily serving people with intellectual or developmental disabilities may fall under the Department of Disability and Aging rather than TDMHSAS. Where 50% or more of the population served has an intellectual or developmental disability, address that jurisdiction before preparing the application.

The service model includes non-medical personal care, homemaker assistance, sitter services, and in-home respite within the licensed scope. Skilled nursing and clinical treatment require a different service authorization and appropriately licensed professionals.

The initial application process calls for the application, agency fact sheet, financial information, background-related forms, and required supporting materials. Prepare the service description, management information, personnel arrangements, and written operating policies.

TDMHSAS currently uses an electronic desk audit for an initial Personal Support Services Agency application. Its guidance does not require a fire and life-safety inspection for this PSSA process. The agency must submit the requested documents and obtain its license before providing licensed services.

Designate responsible administration and supervision for the licensed service. Document staff roles, qualifications, orientation, competency, schedules, and how caregivers report changes, incidents, or unmet client needs.

Maintain the assessment of support needs, agreed service plan, responsible contacts, service schedules, documented visits, incidents, complaints, and changes in the plan. Clearly identify which tasks the caregiver is authorized to perform.

No. A Personal Support Services Agency license and TennCare or other program participation are separate. Provider enrollment, managed-care contracts, authorizations, and billing requirements must be completed for the specific program.

Tennessee requires a $1,404 annual license fee for a Home Care Organization providing Home Health Services. Submit the nonrefundable fee with the application. Certificate of Need review and other separately required approvals have additional costs and are not included in our package price.

The Health Facilities Commission licenses a Home Care Organization providing Home Health Services under Chapter 0720-27. This is different from the non-medical Personal Support Services Agency license.

A new home health organization generally needs Certificate of Need approval. The initial application identifies exceptions for agencies providing only pediatric services or only services under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. An exception must fit the actual operation; it is not a general exemption for all private-pay agencies.

The initial application explains that the pediatric-only and EEOICPA exceptions carry an accreditation requirement within two years of licensure. The agency must meet the conditions of its selected exception. Accreditation work and full CON proposal preparation are separate unless included in a written agreement.

Prepare the HFC initial Home Health application, required signatures and notarization, business and ownership information, fee, evidence of CON approval or the applicable exception, and supporting operational information. The agency must be ready for the licensing review.

Qualified registered nursing leadership oversees nursing assessment, care planning, coordination, supervision, and evaluation. Maintain current professional licenses and personnel records for nurses, therapists, aides, and clinical supervisors.

Services must follow the professional assessment, required practitioner orders, and an individualized plan addressing treatments, disciplines, visit arrangements, medications, safety, and patient goals. Maintain current orders and clinical documentation.

No. Chapter 0720-27 prohibits admitting patients or holding the operation out as an agency before a license has been issued. Prepare the office, staff, policies, records, and clinical systems for the licensing process first.

The home health license carries an annual $1,404 fee. Keep the license, ownership information, required professional credentials, insurance, and compliance documentation current throughout operation.

Establish written emergency contacts, staff escalation, backup coverage, weather and travel procedures, and instructions for clients when a scheduled visit cannot occur. For an immediate medical emergency, staff should activate emergency services. Keep the response appropriate to the Tennessee services your agency is authorized to provide.

Provide a clear contact for concerns, record each complaint, assign follow-up, document the response, and review patterns that call for changes. Preserve client confidentiality and follow applicable abuse, neglect, and incident-reporting requirements.

Written policies are required for the licensed services. They should address administration, personnel, client care, supervision, rights, confidentiality, infection prevention, emergencies, and records. Maintain a documented process to review services, complaints, incidents, and record quality, and follow the quality or program-evaluation requirements applicable to this license.

Home Health Forms provides Tennessee-specific quality improvement and written policies.

The Tennessee Home Care Agency Complete Startup Package may include:

• A professionally designed company logo.
• A customized WordPress business website.
• One year of website hosting.
• One year of domain registration.
• 500 customized business cards.
• 500 customized tri-fold brochures.
• Tennessee-specific policies and procedures for Personal Support Services Agency.
• Human-resources and personnel documents.
• New-client admission documents.
• Operational and administrative forms.
• Preparation of the Tennessee Personal Support Services Agency application for your review, signature, and submission.
• Access to the Home Health Forms members' area.
• Customization of documents to the purchaser's agency.
• Ongoing guidance and applicable document updates.

Home Health Forms provides startup guidance, customized documents, and application-preparation assistance. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services makes all licensing decisions.

The applicant remains responsible for providing complete and truthful information, satisfying ownership, financial, insurance, personnel, office, background-check, supervision, and operational requirements, paying government fees, responding to state requests, preparing for the survey, and maintaining regulatory compliance. Home Health Forms 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 Home Health Forms receives all company information needed to complete the customization.

logo creation, website development, domain registration, printing, shipping, and other package components may have separate production timelines.

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