Home Care

Under Minnesota law, a home care provider is defined as an individual, organization, association, corporation, unit of government, or other entity that is regularly engaged in delivering at least one home care service directly in a client’s home for a fee (Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.43, subdivision 4). To maintain a Basic or Comprehensive Home Care license through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), providers must meet this definition by delivering qualifying home care services—as described in Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.471, subdivision 6 and subdivision 7—directly in a client’s home for a fee during each 12-month license period per Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.472, subdivision 3. 

Some providers may choose to add a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) designation to their home care license. This is referred to as an integrated license. An integrated license allows a provider to deliver certain 245D basic support services under their existing MDH-issued home care license. This integration is intended to support home care providers who are already serving home care clients and wish to also offer and provide basic support services as part of a broader care plan. 

It is important to understand that the HCBS designation does not substitute the core requirements of a home care license. Providers must still meet the legal requirements of both the 144A homecare license and the 245D.03 basic supportive services. Providing HCBS basic support services alone do not fulfill the statutory requirement to provide homecare services (for a fee). Providers who apply for an integrated license but do not provide at least one homecare service to each client will have their (integrated) home care license denied. 

The home care license is not a substitute pathway for obtaining 245D licensure from the Department of Human Services (DHS), nor is it intended for providers who wish to offer only 245D basic support services to clients. If your business model does not include the delivery of home care services to your clients, you will not meet the requirements for an MDH home care license. 

If you have questions about whether your services align with MDH home care licensing requirements, we encourage you to contact us before submitting an application at health.homecare@state.mn.us or 651-201-4200. 

CLIA Certificates Going Electronic

Act Now: Make the Switch by March 1, 2026

Laboratories must switch to email notifications to start receiving electronic CLIA fee coupons and certificates. After March 1, 2026, paper fee coupons and CLIA certificates will no longer be available. Don’t miss this important transition to paperless. See Changes to CLIA Fees & Certificates for more information.

MDH recognizes it may be unclear to providers whether it is necessary to maintain their comprehensive home care license even though they also have an assisted living license. While a provider may maintain both an assisted living and comprehensive home care licensee, Minnesota law requires the provider must meet certain statutory criteria to do so.

Comprehensive home care licensees are authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.471 to provide home care services in the community at a client’s private home or in a health care facility. If a comprehensive home care licensee has not served at least one home care client in the past 12 months at the time of license renewal, MDH cannot renew the home care license. The client(s) served in the past 12 months must be a home care client (a client with a service agreement for home care services), not an assisted living resident. If a provider offers sleeping accommodations and assisted living services to one or more adults, the provider is required to maintain an assisted living facility or assisted living facility with dementia care license, under Minnesota Statutes, section 144G.08.

If an assisted living licensee also maintains a comprehensive home care license, the comprehensive home care services may be provided only to a client(s) in the community, not to assisted living residents within the assisted living licensee’s assisted living building.

If you have a comprehensive home care license and have not served a home care client in the past 12 months, or you no longer intend to serve home care clients, please email MDH Home Care at health.homecare@state.mn.us, so MDH may assist you with closing your home care license.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Health Regulation Division value your feedback about your experience during the survey/evaluation or investigative process. Beginning in June, providers will receive a link to an anonymous questionnaire at the conclusion of their on-site visit; this feedback will help us identify ways to improve our procedures and communication. An example of the form is now available to view: HRD Provider On-Site Feedback Questionnaire (Example Form) (PDF).