CDPH wants $1M / $3M on the certificate.

The standard floor in home health contracts. It varies by business, so the contract governs — but this is what most MCOs and referral sources ask for before they will accept an agency. We set the coverage up and produce the certificate — usually the same day.

Start a quote What California requires ↓

What California requires

What insurance do California Regional Centers require for vendorization?

Regional Center vendorization requirements vary but typically require general liability of at least $1M per occurrence / $3M aggregate, professional liability, workers compensation, abuse and molestation, and an employee dishonesty bond. We specialize in placing coverage that meets Regional Center vendorization requirements.

California Department of Public Health·checked 2026-08-16

Does California require workers compensation for home health agencies?

Yes — California requires workers compensation for all employers with one or more employees. CDPH audits include verification of active coverage.

California Department of Public Health·checked 2026-08-16

What is IHSS and what insurance does it require?

IHSS is California’s Medicaid-funded personal care program. Agencies contracting with county IHSS programs must maintain GL, professional liability, and workers compensation at minimum.

California Department of Public Health·checked 2026-08-16

Do California home health agencies need abuse and molestation coverage?

Yes — especially important for Regional Center agencies. Many Regional Centers require it as a separate endorsement or standalone policy.

California Department of Public Health·checked 2026-08-16

California has 5,000+ CDPH-licensed home health agencies. (California Department of Public Health)

Limits

What to carry, and why that number.

General liability$1M / $3M
Abuse & molestationMatch the contract: One of the two limits that actually fails a non-medical home health contract. It is routinely excluded from a standard general liability policy, and where it is included the limit is often set below what the contract demands.
Hired & non-owned autoMatch the contract: The other one that fails. Aides drive their own cars between client homes, their personal policy will not respond to a business trip, and the limit carried is frequently too low for the contract.

Coverage

Six lines. Each one closes a specific hole.

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.

In California

The organizations that will ask for your certificate.

Alta California Regional Center (Sacramento) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Bay Area Regional Center (Oakland) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Central Valley Regional Center (Fresno) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Coastal Regional Center (Ventura) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Desert/Mountain Regional Center (San Bernardino) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Far Northern Regional Center (Redding) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center (Los Angeles) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Golden Gate Regional Center (San Francisco) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Harbor Regional Center (Torrance) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Inland Regional Center (San Bernardino) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
Kern Regional Center (Bakersfield) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
North Bay Regional Center (Napa) · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21
North Los Angeles County Regional Center · Regional Centers (DDS) — All 21

Questions

What does AB 5 mean for my home health agency’s insurance?

AB 5 affects caregiver classification as employees vs. independent contractors. Reclassification creates workers compensation and GL exposure gaps. We work with carriers who understand the AB 5 landscape for home health agencies.

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.

Tell us what you do. We’ll tell you what it costs.

Licensed in California. Have your payroll figures and a list of services on hand — those are the two things that slow a quote down.

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Last reviewed 2026-08-16