How to start a home care agency in Kansas

Kansas requires a Home Health Agency license (supportive care services only) from Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), Survey, Certification and Credentialing Commission to operate a home care agency. Fee: Non-refundable initial fee for an agency providing only supportive care: $250 if total unique patients/clients are under 100, $500 if 100 or more. (Agencies also providing home health services or HCBS attendant care pay $500 / $750.).

License required

Yes

License

Home Health Agency license (supportive care services only)

Issuing agency

Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), Survey, Certification and Credentialing Commission

Fee

Non-refundable initial fee for an agency providing only supportive care: $250 if total unique patients/clients are under 100, $500 if 100 or more. (Agencies also providing home health services or HCBS attendant care pay $500 / $750.)

Renewal

Every year · Annual renewal (annual report plus fee) due at least 30 days before the renewal date: $100 (under 100 clients) or $350 (100+) for supportive-care-only agencies; $350 / $600 if providing home health or HCBS. The license is cancelled automatically if the report and fee are not filed within 30 days after the renewal date.

Survey and inspection

Survey inspection before licensure, then on-site survey at least once every 36 months; KDADS may make other inspections during business hours.

Regulation

K.S.A. 65-5101 et seq.; K.A.R. 28-51-100 through 28-51-118 (amended eff. May 20, 2022)

1. Write the policies and procedures required by K.A.R. 28-51-103, -104, -117 and -118 (scope of practice, client assessment, worker training and competency, supervision)
2. Submit the KDADS application form with the fee and policies
3. Pass the KDADS survey inspection; no services may be provided before the license is issued
4. File an annual report and fee each year; on-site resurvey at least every 36 months
5. Apply for a new license before any sale, ownership/management transfer or major corporate change

Staffing

• Administrator appointed by the governing body, plus an alternate administrator
• A manager with at least 1 year of experience in home health, HCBS or supportive care who is available to supportive care workers at all times and on call
• Manager assesses each client to build the plan of care and visits each client every three months to supervise the worker

Training

• Each supportive care worker must show competency before working without the manager present and be re-evaluated every year (communication including dementia and hearing loss, observation/reporting/documentation, infection control, personal hygiene and grooming, equipment use, and other listed areas)
• Ongoing training for managers and workers at least annually, documented in the personnel file
• Supportive care workers may not set up or administer medications

Program

Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP) / KanCare

Enrollment portal

KMAP provider portal (provider enrollment)

Fiscal agent

Gainwell Technologies (KMAP fiscal agent)

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

KMAP's fingerprint FAQ says high-risk applicants may be printed by any authorized law enforcement agency, which mails the card to KDHE/DHCF in an envelope the provider supplies; the check takes about 5-10 business days. 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

Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.

Full Kansas Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

No

Kansas certificate of need details →

Model

hybrid

State vendor

Fiserv AuthentiCare

Services in scope

• personal care
• self-directed personal care
• home health
• homemaker
• private duty nursing
• respite
• physical therapy
• occupational therapy
• speech therapy
• behavioral therapy

Alternate EVV allowed

Yes

Program

https://kancare.ks.gov/providers/electronic-visit-verification/evv-frequently-asked-questions

Kansas EVV requirements →

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.

Personal care / in-home supportive care organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

253 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

393,912 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Kansas Home care Medicaid rates, ranked →

• Autism Waiver (1915(c))
• HCBS Brain Injury Waiver (1915(c))
• Community Support Waiver (1915(c))
• Home and Community Based Services for the Frail Elderly Waiver (1915(c))
• HCBS Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Waiver (1915(c))
• Physical Disability Waiver (1915(c))
• Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) Waiver (1915(c))
• Technology Assisted Waiver (1915(c))

Kansas waivers and waiting lists →