What to ask a home health agency before admission
Published August 7, 2026 · Last updated August 7, 2026
Ask first: is the agency Medicare-certified?
Ask whether the agency is Medicare-certified. Medicare says a certified agency must provide covered home health care. Ask for the agency’s name exactly as it appears in Care Compare. That makes it easier to check the right record.
Medicare source: Medicare.gov, Home health services, read 2026-08-07.
Who will manage my care?
Ask who will lead your care and who will call your doctor. Ask for the name and phone number of the agency’s clinical manager. Ask how the agency will share changes with your doctor. Medicare says the agency should keep your provider updated on your progress.
- Who is my main contact?
- Who do I call when a visit is late?
- Who do I call when my symptoms change?
- How will you update my doctor?
Primary sources: Medicare.gov, Home health services, read 2026-08-07.
CMS source: CMS, beneficiary protections, read 2026-08-07.
What visits and services are in the plan?
Ask what the first visit will cover. Ask how often each type of clinician will come. Ask what you and your caregiver must do between visits. The agency should discuss your needs and health before services begin. Staff should visit as often as your provider orders.
| Question | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Who will visit? | Nurse, therapist, aide or social worker |
| How often? | The planned visit schedule |
| What happens between visits? | Your care and safety steps |
| Who changes the plan? | The agency contact and your provider |
These are questions to ask, not promises about what an agency will provide.
Medicare source: Medicare.gov, Home health services, read 2026-08-07.
What will Medicare pay for?
Ask the agency to explain which services are in your Medicare plan. Covered services can include skilled nursing, therapy, medical social services and some home health aide care. Ask which items need a separate order or approval.
- Skilled nursing care.
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy.
- Medical social services.
- Some home health aide care alongside skilled care.
- Medical equipment and supplies for use at home.
Medicare source: Medicare.gov, Home health services, read 2026-08-07.
What will Medicare not pay for?
Ask what is outside the Medicare home health benefit. Medicare does not pay for round-the-clock care at home. It also does not pay for meal delivery or custodial care when that is the only care you need. Ask what other help your family may need.
Medicare source: Medicare.gov, Home health services, read 2026-08-07.
Who should I call when plans change?
Write down one daytime number and one after-hours number. Ask when to call the agency and when to call your doctor or emergency services. Ask how missed visits are handled. Keep the care plan, medication list and contact numbers together.
CMS source: CMS, beneficiary protections, read 2026-08-07.
How should I read the CMS ratings?
Use CMS ratings as one part of your check. CMS publishes a Quality of Patient Care star rating and a Patient Survey star rating for home health agencies. The first uses OASIS assessments and Medicare claims data. The second uses the Home Health CAHPS patient survey.
| Rating | What it measures | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Patient Care | OASIS and Medicare claims data | It covers selected process and outcome measures |
| Patient Survey | Home Health CAHPS patient experience | A missing star can mean too few completed surveys |
CMS says ratings are updated quarterly. The ratings do not answer every question about a visit schedule, contact person or care fit.
CMS source: CMS, Home Health Star Ratings, read 2026-08-07.
A live look at our directory
Our live aggregate lets us compare the active records we hold today. The ratio below is our calculation from those two live counts. It is not a CMS rating and does not say which agency is best.
| Live comparison | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Medicare-certified home health agencies | 12,413 |
| Active Medicare-certified hospices | 6,458 |
| Home health agencies per active hospice, computed | 1.922 |
Counts come from the page’s live national aggregate. The ratio is active home health agencies divided by active hospices, shown to three decimal places.
Data provenance
- Source file
cms.facility (HHA rows) and cms.v_hospice_directory- Source URL
- https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/
- Extraction date
- 2026-09-30
- Record count
- 12,413 active HHA rows; 6,458 active hospice rows
A simple admission-day checklist
- Confirm the agency name and Medicare certification.
- Write down your clinical manager and after-hours numbers.
- Ask who will visit, how often and what each visit does.
- Ask what Medicare covers and what it does not cover.
- Check the agency in Medicare Care Compare.
- Share your questions with the doctor who ordered care.
Medicare source: Medicare Care Compare, read 2026-08-07.
What a rating cannot tell you
A rating cannot tell you whether an agency can meet your schedule. It cannot tell you whether the staff will fit your home or communication needs. Ask those questions directly before you agree to the first visit. This page is information, not medical advice.
Questions families ask
What should I ask a home health agency before the first visit?
Ask who will visit, how often visits will happen and who your main contact will be. Also ask what the plan includes, what Medicare will not cover and who to call after hours.
How do I know if a home health agency is Medicare-certified?
Ask for the agency’s exact name. Then check that name in Medicare Care Compare. Medicare says a Medicare-certified agency must provide covered home health care.
What do CMS home health star ratings measure?
CMS publishes a Quality of Patient Care star rating and a Patient Survey star rating. The first uses OASIS assessments and Medicare claims data. The second uses the Home Health CAHPS patient survey.
What does Medicare not pay for in home health?
Medicare does not pay for 24-hour-a-day care at home. It also does not pay for meal delivery or custodial care when that is the only care you need.
How many active home health agencies does aHealingVisit hold?
Our live national aggregate holds 12,413 active Medicare-certified home health agencies. The count is read when the page loads and can change when CMS data changes.