Louisiana Personal Care Services (PCS) license — Fixed-Price Application Support
$1,995.00
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Louisiana Home Care, Home Health & Hospice Licensing
Louisiana's Facility Need Review and dual-layer moratorium make expert guidance the difference between launch and limbo.
RegulatorLDH HSS
Typical timelineHCBS/PCA: approximately 3 to 8 months total — FNR review up to 60 days, then HSS licensing and survey typically an additional 60 to 120 days. Hospice: similar FNR-plus-licensing timeline but add CMS Medicare certification time post-survey, which is further delayed by the federal enrollment moratorium in effect through approximately November 2026. Home Health Agency (CHOW route): timing depends on locating a willing seller and LDH CHOW processing, typically 3 to 6 months once a target agency is identified; de novo HHA licensure is not a reliable pathway under the current statutory moratorium.
License routes3
Delivery100% Virtual
Licensing in Louisiana
Louisiana regulates home care and hospice through the Health Standards Section (HSS) of the Louisiana Department of Health, which requires a Facility Need Review (FNR) committee approval — the state's need-review mechanism under LAC 48:I Chapter 125 — before a new Personal Care Attendant or Hospice provider may even submit a licensing application. Home Health Agency licensure carries an additional layer of complexity: a statutory moratorium under RS 40:2116.32 F.(1) effectively blocks new de novo HHA licenses, meaning the practical entry route for most buyers is a Change of Ownership (CHOW) acquisition of an existing licensed agency. As of May 2026, a separate six-month CMS nationwide enrollment moratorium further blocks new Medicare enrollment for both Home Health and Hospice providers, making sequencing and strategic timing critical for any new entrant.
Your regulator
Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section (LDH HSS)
Official licensing page →License routes we cover in Louisiana
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) — Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Module
Non-medical agencies providing personal care attendant services in the home; the PCA module is a sub-category of the broader HCBS license issued by LDH HSS under LAC 48:I Chapters 50 and 51 and RS 40:2120.2 et seq.
Home Health Agency (HHA)
Agencies providing skilled nursing plus at least one therapy or ancillary service under physician order in a patient's residence; governed by LAC 48:I Chapter 91 and RS 40:2116.32-33; de novo licensure is subject to a statutory moratorium, making CHOW of an existing agency the primary market-entry route.
Hospice
Autonomous programs providing palliative and comfort care for terminally ill patients and their families; licensed under LAC 48:I Chapter 82 and RS 40:2181 et seq.; FNR approval is required before initial licensure.
How we get you licensed
- 1Confirm eligibility and route
For HCBS/PCA or Hospice, confirm the FNR pathway is open. For Home Health, assess whether a de novo application is viable (the statutory moratorium under RS 40:2116.32 F.(1) has long constrained new licenses) or whether acquiring an existing licensed HHA via CHOW is the appropriate route. Also confirm whether the federal CMS Medicare enrollment moratorium (in effect from May 13, 2026, through approximately November 2026) affects your target launch window.
- 2Submit Facility Need Review (FNR) application — HCBS/PCA and Hospice only
File the FNR application with LDH HSS via the AccessGov online portal (la.accessgov.com/hss) or by email/mail to Health Standards Section, P.O. Box 3767, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Pay the non-refundable $200 FNR fee. The standard review period is up to 60 days from receipt of a complete application. Failure to attach complete supporting documentation delays the clock, as the review period does not begin until a complete packet is received.
- 3Complete mandatory LDH training — HCBS/PCA
HCBS applicants must complete required LDH online provider training videos and print completion certificates before the licensing application will be accepted. This step runs concurrently with FNR review.
- 4Submit the HSS initial licensing application
Once FNR approval is in hand (for HCBS/PCA and Hospice), submit the completed HSS license application with all required attachments: criminal background checks on all owners and the administrator, proof of a $50,000 line of credit (HCBS) or $75,000 line of credit (HHA/Hospice) from a federally insured lender, general and professional liability insurance certificate ($300,000 minimum, with the Department of Health named as certificate holder), current workers' compensation insurance, ownership disclosure form, organizational chart, and applicable emergency preparedness addendum.
- 5Admit one client and pass the on-site licensing survey
For HCBS providers, LDH requires the agency to admit one client within 30 days of completing mandatory training and then contact the HSS field office to schedule the initial on-site survey. A full license is issued upon a compliant survey; minor deficiencies may result in a provisional license for up to six months. Hospice and HHA surveys follow the applicable federal Conditions of Participation.
- 6Enroll in Medicaid and Medicare programs post-licensure
After the state license is issued, enroll in Louisiana Medicaid (Community Choices Waiver for HCBS/PCA) and, for HHA and Hospice, submit the CMS 855A to the Medicare Administrative Contractor and CMS forms 417 and 1561 for Medicare certification. Note that the federal Medicare enrollment moratorium (effective May 13, 2026) blocks new HHA and Hospice Medicare enrollments for an initial six-month period; plan accordingly.
Key Louisiana requirements
- Facility Need Review (FNR) committee approval from LDH HSS is mandatory before submitting an initial HCBS/PCA or Hospice license application — without FNR approval, the licensing application will not be accepted.
- Proof of a line of credit from a federally insured lender: at least $50,000 for HCBS providers and at least $75,000 for HHA or Hospice providers, demonstrating financial viability.
- General and professional liability insurance of at least $300,000 (with the Louisiana Department of Health named as certificate holder), plus current workers' compensation insurance.
- Statewide criminal background checks (conducted through Louisiana State Police) on all owners, principals, board members, and the designated administrator; felony convictions involving violence, abuse, sexual offenses, drug crimes, fraud, or weapons are disqualifying.
- Mandatory LDH provider training videos must be completed (with certificates printed) before HCBS applicants may be authorized for an initial on-site licensing survey.
- Completed CMS forms (CMS 855A, CMS 417, and CMS 1561 for Home Health and Hospice) submitted to the Medicare Administrative Contractor for federal certification — required for Medicare billing and subject to the current CMS enrollment moratorium through approximately November 2026.
Traps that catch new owners
- The statutory moratorium on new de novo Home Health Agency licenses under RS 40:2116.32 F.(1) is a hard stop that is not prominently advertised on the LDH website — many applicants waste months preparing a de novo HHA application before discovering the CHOW route is the only realistic path to market entry.
- Submitting an incomplete FNR packet without all required supporting documentation resets your place in the queue — the FNR Program will not begin processing until the complete packet is received, and the 60-day review clock does not start until that point, silently extending your overall timeline.
- The CMS six-month nationwide Medicare enrollment moratorium (effective May 13, 2026, through approximately November 13, 2026) blocks new HHA and Hospice providers from obtaining Medicare enrollment, meaning a state license alone does not enable Medicare billing during this period; new entrants must factor this federal overlay into their launch and revenue projections.
Louisiana licensing packages
Fixed price, agreed in writing before any work begins. Each package is prepared and submitted for you, fully online.
Louisiana licensing FAQs
Can I start a brand-new Home Health Agency in Louisiana right now without buying an existing one?
As of mid-2026, a de novo (brand-new) Home Health Agency license faces two overlapping barriers: the long-standing Louisiana statutory moratorium under RS 40:2116.32 F.(1) that restricts LDH from issuing new HHA licenses, and the federal CMS six-month Medicare enrollment moratorium in effect through approximately November 2026 that blocks new Medicare enrollment for home health providers. For most new entrants, acquiring an existing licensed HHA through a Change of Ownership (CHOW) transaction is the practical route to market.
Does the CMS Medicare moratorium affect my ability to get a Louisiana state license for Personal Care or Hospice?
No — the CMS enrollment moratorium applies only to Medicare enrollments; states are not required to restrict Medicaid or state licensing. A Louisiana HCBS/PCA state license and Medicaid enrollment through the Community Choices Waiver can proceed on the normal state timeline. For Hospice, the state license can still be pursued, but Medicare enrollment — required for most hospice reimbursement — is blocked for new enrollees during the moratorium period.
What is the Facility Need Review and why does it matter for a Personal Care license in Louisiana?
The Facility Need Review (FNR) is a mandatory committee review conducted by LDH Health Standards Section under LAC 48:I Chapter 125 that determines whether the market needs an additional provider before LDH will even accept a licensing application. For the Personal Care Attendant module of the HCBS license, FNR approval is a prerequisite — not a concurrent step. The $200 non-refundable FNR application is submitted via the AccessGov portal, and the standard review period is up to 60 days from receipt of a complete application. Skipping or misfiling the FNR is the single most common cause of application delays in Louisiana.
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