Every answer was written and checked ahead of time, with the official document next to it. Nothing is made up on the spot.
Do I need a license to run a non-medical home care agency in Louisiana?
Yes, for personal care and most other in-home services.
Personal care attendant (PCA), respite, supervised independent living and other home and community-based services are licensed by LDH's Health Standards Section under one HCBS provider license, with a module for each service. Businesses that only provide sitter, housekeeping or meal services are exempt, but a sitter may not give hands-on help with activities of daily living. The rule says it is unlawful to operate as an HCBS provider without a license.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
What do I need to apply for an HCBS license?
Need review approval, money and insurance, and training.
PCA, respite, MIHC and SIL first need facility need review (FNR) approval. The application needs a $50,000 line of credit, at least $300,000 in general and professional liability insurance, workers' compensation, and a statewide criminal background check on owners and administrators. Owners and the administrator complete LDH's provider training, then you admit one client and ask for the initial survey. The license lasts one year.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
Can a new home health agency enroll in Louisiana Medicaid right now?
No, not until at least December 17, 2026.
A Medicaid enrollment moratorium for home health agencies, hospices and DME suppliers took effect June 18, 2026 for six months. LDH will deny new enrollments, majority ownership changes that need a new enrollment, and new branch locations, and health plans may not add these providers. Agencies enrolled before June 18 are not affected. LDH may ask CMS to extend it.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
Which background and registry checks must I run on direct care workers?
A criminal check on hire, registry checks monthly.
HCBS providers must run a statewide criminal background check on unlicensed direct care staff on hire and may not hire people with barring convictions. Before hire and every month after, check the Direct Service Worker Registry and the federal OIG exclusion list. If a worker has a finding, you may not hire them or keep them working as a direct service worker.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
How much training do direct care workers need?
16 hours before care, 8 hours a year.
Under the HCBS licensing rule, each direct care worker completes at least 16 hours of training on hire and before giving care, and a basic first aid course within 45 days of hire. After that, each worker needs at least 8 hours of training a year; orientation and normal supervision do not count toward it.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
Which EVV system does Louisiana use?
LaSRS, or an approved third-party system.
LDH's EVV system is LaSRS, run by Statistical Resources, Inc. (SRI), and it is free to providers. You can use your own vendor if it meets LDH's data integration rules and sends data to LaSRS every day. The owner or executive director and the vendor sign an attestation, which should be re-signed every year, and you send it with a copy of your HIPAA business associate agreement before SRI will work with your vendor.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
What happens if too many visits are entered by hand in EVV?
Payment for them can be blocked.
In-home providers must capture at least 80% of services with a real EVV clock-in and clock-out, measured over a rolling 90 days. Manual and edited entries above the 20% allowance are blocked until you are back at 80% for 90 days in a row, then released. Entries in areas with no signal (with a supervisor's connectivity test form), in a worker's first 30 days, or before the prior authorization is in LaSRS do not count against you.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
Is there a minimum wage for LT-PCS workers?
A 2025 draft manual chapter says $9.00 an hour.
Draft LT-PCS manual chapters (2025, issue date left blank) say LT-PCS agencies must pay direct service workers at least $9.00 an hour and, effective October 1, 2022, pass 70% of their rate increase to workers in wages and approved benefits. LDH may audit payroll records, and failing to comply can lead to sanctions or disenrollment. We could not get the final chapters, so check the current Medicaid Services Manual before relying on this.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
Do Medicaid health plans pay for personal care in Louisiana?
For members under 21, yes.
The MCO Manual lists personal care services for ages 0 to 20, and home health services, among the services health plans cover. Community Choices Waiver services are prior authorized and billed directly to Medicaid's fiscal intermediary. The MCO Manual does not list adult LT-PCS, and we could not get the final Medicaid manual chapter that would say how it is paid. Since March 1, 2026, members may change health plans at any time, up to twice a year.
Written and checked September 22, 2026
How fast must I report a critical incident for an OAAS waiver participant?
Within 2 hours to the support coordinator.
Protect the participant right away and report abuse, neglect, exploitation or extortion to APS or EPS immediately. Tell the support coordination agency within 2 hours of discovery. If you found it first, enter the report in the critical incident system by the next business day.
Written and checked September 22, 2026