Georgia Licensing Insight

How to Choose the Right Georgia Agency License

Private Home Care Provider, Home Health Agency, and Hospice are distinct paths in Georgia. The right starting point depends on the services you will offer, the clients you will serve, and how your agency will operate.

Private Home Care Provider (PHCP)

Georgia's Private Home Care Provider license can cover companion or sitter tasks, personal care tasks, and nursing services. These are service categories within the PHCP framework, and each has its own staffing and supervision considerations.

Physical, occupational, and speech therapy are outside the PHCP service definition. An agency that intends to provide those services should not assume that a PHCP license covers the planned model.

Home Health Agency (HHA)

A Georgia Home Health Agency is a separate license for services provided under a physician-signed treatment plan, including part-time or intermittent skilled nursing and at least one additional home health service.

Certificate of Need review may affect a new or expanded Home Health Agency. State licensure and federal Medicare certification should be planned as separate steps.

Hospice

Hospice has its own license for a coordinated program of care focused on comfort, symptom relief, and support for patients and families.

Its care team, policies, staffing, and service model must be built for hospice requirements rather than added to a home care plan as an afterthought.

Downloadable Resource

Georgia Agency Licensing Guide

Keep the one-page NorthEnd guide for a concise comparison of the licensing paths and planning questions summarized above.

Download the PDF

Licensing Support

Not sure which Georgia path fits your agency?

NorthEnd Consulting helps prospective Georgia agency owners clarify planned services and prepare application materials aligned with the appropriate licensing path.

Licensing, Certificate of Need, and certification decisions are controlled by Georgia DCH and other applicable authorities. This page provides general planning information; requirements depend on an agency's proposed services and circumstances. NorthEnd Consulting does not guarantee approval or a specific regulatory outcome.