How do I get my home health agency Medicare-certified?

The process: (1) form the entity and meet your state home health licensure requirements; (2) hire required staff and write policies meeting CMS Conditions of Participation (CoP); (3) start operations and serve at least 10 patients; (4) apply for CHAP, ACHC, or Joint Commission accreditation; (5) pass the accreditation survey; (6) submit CMS-855A enrollment to your MAC; (7) receive Medicare provider number and start billing. Timeline: 12-18 months end-to-end.

What are the three Medicare home health accrediting bodies?

CMS recognizes three accrediting organizations for home health: (1) CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner), (2) ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care), (3) Joint Commission. Each has slightly different standards, fees, and survey processes. CHAP and ACHC dominate the home health market; Joint Commission is more common for larger multi-line organizations.

How much does Medicare home health certification cost?

Total cost typically runs $30,000-$80,000 spread over 12-18 months. Components: state licensure $500-$2,000, accreditation application fee $5,000-$15,000, accreditation survey fee $5,000-$15,000, EMR + EVV setup $5,000-$15,000, initial staff payroll before Medicare revenue $20,000-$40,000+. Most agencies need $100,000-$200,000 in working capital before Medicare revenue starts flowing.

Does AveeCare help with Medicare certification?

AveeCare is non-medical home care software, not a Medicare HH platform. Agencies pursuing Medicare certification need a Medicare HH-capable EMR (Kinnser, KanTime, Axxess, Alora, MatrixCare). Hybrid agencies that operate non-medical home care alongside skilled HH often use AveeCare for the personal-care side at $6 per active client per month while running a Medicare HH platform for the skilled side.

Certification Guide

Home health Medicare certification process: 2026 step-by-step guide

The honest home health Medicare certification process step-by-step for 2026: 7 steps, 12-18 month timeline, and the full cost breakdown to plan around.

By Calvin Nesvig, Founding Partner·Updated May 3, 2026·9 min read

Quick answer

Total time: 12-18 months from formation to Medicare provider number.
Total cost: $30,000-$80,000 in fees + $100K-$200K working capital before Medicare revenue.
3 accrediting bodies: CHAP, ACHC, Joint Commission.
Required: state license + 10 patient survey + accreditation survey + CMS-855A.
AveeCare is non-medical home care; pair with Kinnser/KanTime/Axxess for skilled HH side.

Quick answer 7-step process 12-18 month timeline Accrediting bodies AveeCare role FAQ

7-step Medicare certification process

Step 1

Form entity, obtain EIN, NPI, secure office, meet state HH licensure requirements.

Step 2

Hire required staff (administrator, DON, clinicians) and write CoP-compliant policies.

Step 3

Begin operations under state license; serve at least 10 Medicare-eligible patients.

Step 4

Apply for CHAP, ACHC, or Joint Commission accreditation.

Step 5

Pass accreditation survey (clinical record review, on-site visit, interviews).

Step 6

Submit CMS-855A enrollment to your MAC (Medicare Administrative Contractor).

Step 7

Receive Medicare provider number, start billing 837I claims.

12-18 month timeline

Months	Milestone
Months 1-3	Entity formation; state licensure; hire admin + DON
Months 4-6	Hire clinicians; write CoP policies; begin patient operations
Months 7-9	Reach 10-patient threshold; apply for accreditation
Months 10-12	Accreditation survey; address findings; gain accreditation
Months 13-15	Submit CMS-855A; MAC review; provider number
Months 16-18	First Medicare claims; PDGM optimization; revenue ramp

3 accrediting bodies

CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner)

Most common for home health. Strong continuous-improvement framework. Application fee + survey ~$10K-$20K total.

ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care)

Common for HH + DME + hospice. Application fee + survey ~$8K-$18K total.

Joint Commission

More common for larger multi-line organizations (hospital-affiliated HH). Higher fees but globally recognized.

AveeCare's role in your Medicare certification

AveeCare is non-medical home care software. For skilled HH Medicare certification, you need a Medicare HH-capable EMR. AveeCare runs the non-medical home care line of hybrid agencies at $6 / active client / month.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Accessed May 3, 2026.

Calvin Nesvig

Founding Partner, AveeCare

Builds home care software full-time and works with home care agencies on workflow and software fit every week.

Continue Reading

Lead Generation

Home Care Referral Sources Guide

Referral source directory, interactive tracker, relationship strength assessment, and outreach calendar builder.

Read guide

Business Planning

Home Care Business Plan Guide

Financial projections builder, market analysis tool, business plan section checklist, and startup budget builder.

Read guide

Agency Growth

Home Care Marketing Strategies

Marketing channel ROI comparison, budget calculator, 12-month marketing plan checklist, and common mistakes to avoid.

Read guide

2026 Comparison

Home Care Software Comparison Guide

Feature-by-feature analysis of home care software platforms. Interactive comparison matrix, agency quiz, and vendor landscape.

Read guide

Browse all guides

Run hybrid HH + non-medical home care?

$6 / active client / month for the home care side.

Try free self-serve demo View pricing