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Start a business · Adult day care center · Idaho

How to start an adult day care center in Idaho

Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).

Verified Oct 6, 2026Sources: state agencies, CMS and OIG

License required
NoNo state license. Adult day health providers under Medicaid waivers sign a Medicaid provider agreement with additional adult day health terms. Commission on Aging-funded adult day care follows Senior Services Program rules.
Application fee
—
Processing time
—
Personal care / attendant care (hourly)
$6.11per 15 min · $24.44/hr
Organizations in the state
31NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
Licensing

Idaho adult day care center license

Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).

License required
No
License
No state license. Adult day health providers under Medicaid waivers sign a Medicaid provider agreement with additional adult day health terms. Commission on Aging-funded adult day care follows Senior Services Program rules.
Medicaid waiver coverage
HHS (2014) reported that adult day health is covered under the Aged and Disabled 1915(c) waiver and the Adult Developmental Disabilities waiver.
Medicaid

Enrolling as a Idaho Medicaid provider

Program
Idaho Medicaid (Department of Health and Welfare)
Fiscal agent
Gainwell Technologies
Application fee
Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.
Fingerprinting
Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
Site visit
Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.
Revalidation
Idaho is moving its high-risk provider types to revalidation every three years, more often than the federal five-year minimum, and posts its 2026 revalidation correspondence with CMS on its enrollment page. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.

Full Idaho Medicaid enrollment guide →

Certificate of need

Does Idaho require a certificate of need?

CON program
No

Idaho certificate of need details →

Labor

Idaho wage floor

State minimum wage
$7.25 an hour
Effective
2009-07-24
Scheduled increases
No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.
HCBS 80/20 rule
Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.
Market

Idaho market size

Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.

Adult day care clinics/centers — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
31 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
307,060 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
Rates

What Idaho Medicaid pays

Home care & personal care: published Idaho fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.

ServiceCodeIdaho ratePer hourRank
Personal care / attendant care (hourly)Agency providerS5125$6.11per 15 min$24.4422 of 27
Homemaker / housekeeping helpAgency providerS5130$5.26per 15 min$21.047 of 9
Companion careAide or attendantS5135$5.54per 15 min$22.1612 of 20
Respite care (hourly)Agency providerT1005$3.51per 15 min$14.0437 of 38
Respite care (daily)Agency providerS9125$51.25per day—33 of 34

All Idaho Home care Medicaid rates, ranked →

Waivers

Idaho HCBS waivers

Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.

  • Adult Developmental Disabilities Waiver (1915(c))
  • Aged and Disabled Waiver (1915(c))
  • 1915(i) State Plan HCBS Benefit for Children with Developmental Disabilities (1915(i))

Idaho waivers and waiting lists →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a license to start an adult day care center in Idaho?

Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).

Does Idaho require a certificate of need for an adult day care center?

No. Idaho has no certificate of need program.

How do you become a Medicaid provider in Idaho?

Enroll through Idaho Medicaid Health PAS OnLine (www.idmedicaid.com) — Trading Partner Account and Provider Enrollment Application (https://www.idmedicaid.com/default.aspx), run by Gainwell Technologies.

What does Idaho Medicaid pay a adult day care center?

Idaho Medicaid pays $6.11 per 15 min for personal care / attendant care (hourly), effective Jul 1, 2026, ranking 22 of 27 states.