How to start a home care agency in New Mexico
New Mexico does not require a state license for a home care agency, according to New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (licenses home health agencies only). No state license for non-medically directed home care agencies.
- License required
- No
- Application fee
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Respite care (hourly)
- $7.46per 15 min · $29.84/hr
- Organizations in the state
- 284NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
New Mexico home care agency license
New Mexico does not require a state license for a home care agency, according to New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (licenses home health agencies only). No state license for non-medically directed home care agencies.
- License required
- No
- Issuing agency
- New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (licenses home health agencies only)
- Regulation
- 8.370.22 NMAC (home health agency definition excludes non-medically directed services)
Enrolling as a New Mexico Medicaid provider
- Program
- New Mexico Medicaid / Turquoise Care (New Mexico Health Care Authority, Medical Assistance Division)
- Enrollment portal
- Provider & PED Enrollment System at YES.NM.GOV
- Application fee
- Under the federal rule (42 CFR 455.460), institutional providers pay the CMS application fee when they first enroll, re-enroll or revalidate. The fee is $750 for calendar year 2026. Individual physicians and non-physician practitioners do not pay it. A fee already paid to Medicare or to another state's Medicaid program counts. HCA's enrollment pages do not list a separate state fee.
- Fingerprinting
- HCA's Provider Enrollment Matrix flags fingerprints as mandatory for home health agencies, DME/medical supply providers, prosthetists/orthotists, and private and state nursing facilities. Under federal rules (42 CFR 455.434 and 455.450), the state places provider types in 'limited', 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels. High-risk providers, and anyone who owns 5% or more of one, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
- Site visit
- HCA's Provider Enrollment Matrix flags a mandatory site visit for some entries of these types: ground ambulance, home health agencies, hospice, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, DME/medical supply providers, physical therapists, LMFTs, and prosthetists/orthotists. Under federal rule (42 CFR 455.432), the state must visit moderate- and high-risk providers before and after enrollment. Every enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.
- Revalidation
- New Mexico revalidates every three years, which is more often than the federal 5-year minimum. Revalidation is rolling and restarted in June 2026. A selected provider gets a 60-day notice, logs in to YES.NM.GOV, updates the record, uploads the documents listed in the Provider Enrollment Matrix, and submits. A provider who does not revalidate can be disenrolled. Expiring licenses and certifications are updated separately through a Recertification application.
Does New Mexico require a certificate of need?
- CON program
- No
Electronic visit verification in New Mexico
- Model
- state-sponsored
- State vendor
- Fiserv AuthentiCare
- Services in scope
- personal care
- respite
- home health
- Alternate EVV allowed
- Yes
New Mexico wage floor
- State minimum wage
- $12.00 an hour
- Effective
- 2023-01-01
- 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.
New Mexico market size
Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.
- Personal care / in-home supportive care organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
- 284 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
- Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
- 673,265 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
What New Mexico Medicaid pays
Home care & personal care: published New Mexico fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.
| Service | Code | New Mexico rate | Per hour | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respite care (hourly)Agency provider | T1005 | $7.46per 15 min | $29.84 | 12 of 38 |
| Respite care (daily)Agency provider | S5151 | $73.09per day | — | 32 of 34 |
| Adult day servicesClinical nurse specialist | S5100 | $2.96per 15 min | $11.84 | — |
| Financial management services (self-direction)Self-directed worker | $120.00per per ISP year for each service as utilized | — | — |
New Mexico HCBS waivers
Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.
- NM Developmental Disabilities Waiver Program (1915(c))
- NM Medically Fragile Waiver (1915(c))
- NM Mi Via - ICF/IDD Waiver (1915(c))
- New Mexico Turquoise Care (formerly New Mexico Centennial Care 2.0) (1115)
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start a home care agency in New Mexico?
New Mexico does not require a state license for a home care agency, according to New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (licenses home health agencies only). No state license for non-medically directed home care agencies.
Does New Mexico require a certificate of need for a home care agency?
No. New Mexico has no certificate of need program.
How do you become a Medicaid provider in New Mexico?
Enroll through Provider & PED Enrollment System at YES.NM.GOV (https://yes.nm.gov/).
What does New Mexico Medicaid pay a home care agency?
New Mexico Medicaid pays $7.46 per 15 min for respite care (hourly), effective Jul 1, 2026, ranking 12 of 38 states.