Insurance built for home health agencies

Professional liability

Covers claims that care delivered in the home fell below the standard a reasonable provider would meet.

Without it — A single allegation of negligent care is defended out of pocket, and most state and MCO contracts will not accept the agency without it.

General liability

Bodily injury and property damage arising from operations: a fall in a client home, damage to a client residence.

Without it — The most common home-visit claim there is has no defense behind it.

Abuse and molestation

Defense and indemnity for allegations against a caregiver, including claims that the agency hired or supervised negligently.

Without it — Nearly every general liability form excludes it by endorsement, so the exposure most likely to end an agency is the one most often uninsured.

Workers compensation

Statutory benefits for caregiver injury, the highest-frequency loss in the industry, driven by lifting and transfers.

Without it — Medical and indemnity costs land on the agency directly, and in most states operating without it is illegal.

Non-owned and hired auto

Liability when a caregiver drives their own car between clients or transports a client.

Without it — The caregiver’s personal auto policy defends the caregiver. The agency is named anyway, and has nothing responding.

Cyber and privacy

Breach response, notification and regulatory defense for PHI held in scheduling, EVV and billing systems.

Without it — HIPAA notification costs begin immediately and are not covered by any other line on the policy.

Our caregivers drive their own cars. What does the carrier require?

That they keep their own auto insurance, and that you check their driving records every year. Hired and non-owned auto is written excess of the driver’s personal policy rather than instead of it, so a caregiver whose own coverage lapsed is functionally uninsured on a client visit and the agency absorbs what follows. Annual motor vehicle record checks are the second condition, and annual means annual: a check at hire and nothing after is the version carriers find at claim time. Both are cheaper to build into hiring and review than to explain afterwards.

What hired and non-owned auto does and does not cover

What limits do most contracts require?

$1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate is the common requirement across state Medicaid contracts and managed care organizations. Some MCOs require the agency be named on a certificate before the first authorization is issued.

Is abuse and molestation coverage really necessary?

For an agency sending caregivers into private homes, it is the coverage most likely to be needed and least likely to be present. Standard general liability forms exclude it, so it has to be added deliberately, and most contracts now require evidence of it.

Do caregivers driving their own cars need to be covered?

Yes. A caregiver’s personal auto policy responds for the caregiver, not the agency. Hired and non-owned auto liability is what responds when the agency is named in the suit, which it will be.

How fast can coverage be bound?

Same day is normal for a licensed agency with clean loss history. What slows it down is missing payroll detail or an incomplete list of services provided. Have both ready.

What does a home health agency insurance application ask for?

The applications for home health agency businesses ask about 4 things above all: when did you start the business; do any of your staff or contractors drive their own vehicles for work; do you have a formal training program for your staff; has your license ever been suspended, revoked, or surrendered. Have your last five years of claims history from your current insurer, called loss runs and your principal's resume if you have been in business less than three years ready and a quote takes a day instead of a week.

What do home health and home care agencies pay for insurance?

From policies we bound effective January 2025 to September 2026. Professional liability (including combined general and professional packages): home health and home care agencies we placed paid a median of $800 a year, with the middle half between $510 and $1,580 (33 policies from 24 agencies). Workers compensation: home health and home care agencies we placed paid a median of $2,060 a year, with the middle half between $1,610 and $3,150 (21 policies from 17 agencies). General liability, written on its own: home health and home care agencies we placed paid a median of $350 a year, with the middle half between $350 and $510 (7 policies from 7 agencies). Payroll, services, limits and claims history move the figure, so treat it as scale rather than a quote.