DCH license types and what each one expects
Georgia DCH licenses two distinct paths. A Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) license under Rule 111-8-65 covers non-medical companion/sitter, personal care, and nursing-services categories — applicants submit proof of general and professional liability with the application. A Home Health Agency license covers skilled intermittent care and is subject to Certificate of Need, with higher liability expectations. Hospice is licensed separately. DCH does not publish a single dollar minimum in rule, so the referral and Medicaid contracts you sign set the real floor.
| License / program | Issuing body | Typical GL required | Typical professional liability |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHCP — companion & sitter | DCH HFRD | $1M / $2M | $1M / $1M |
| PHCP — personal care | DCH HFRD | $1M / $2M | $1M / $3M |
| PHCP — nursing services | DCH HFRD | $1M / $2M | $1M / $3M |
| Home Health Agency (skilled, CON) | DCH HFRD | $2M / $4M | $1M / $3M |
| Hospice | DCH HFRD | $2M / $4M | $1M / $3M |
Georgia workers' compensation
Georgia requires workers' compensation once you regularly employ three or more workers, including part-time caregivers. That threshold catches almost every licensed agency by its second or third client. Home care payroll runs under class codes 8829 (home health — nursing), 8835 (home health — skilled/professional), and 8842 in some classification mixes. The State Board of Workers' Compensation enforces coverage, and the Georgia Assigned Risk plan is the fallback market — most agencies place with A-rated carriers instead.
Medicaid CCSP, SOURCE & managed-care contract minimums
Georgia's Community Care Services Program (CCSP), SOURCE, and the Georgia Families/Medicaid CMO plans (Amerigroup, CareSource, Peach State Health Plan) set contract insurance terms that exceed the licensing floor. Expect $1M/$2M general liability, $1M/$3M professional liability, primary & non-contributory additional insured status, waiver of subrogation, and 30-day notice of cancellation. Atlanta hospital systems — Emory, Piedmont, Wellstar, Northside — frequently add a $1M–$5M umbrella requirement for discharge-partner agreements.
Abuse & molestation coverage
Georgia's elder-abuse statutes and the state's growing nuclear-verdict environment make sexual abuse & molestation coverage a practical requirement, not an optional endorsement. It is commonly sub-limited or excluded on standard professional liability forms. KTL confirms whether abuse is embedded or needs a standalone $1M endorsement on every Georgia placement.
Non-owned & hired auto
Georgia caregivers drive between clients across wide metro footprints — Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, Macon. Personal auto policies exclude business use, so an accident on the way to a shift lands on the agency. Non-owned & hired auto is inexpensive and belongs on every Georgia home care program.
What Georgia home care agency insurance costs in 2026
A PHCP companion/sitter agency with $350,000 of caregiver payroll typically budgets $1,200–$2,300/yr for $1M/$2M general liability, $1,000–$2,200/yr for professional liability, and $5,500–$11,000/yr for workers' comp at Georgia's home care rates. Standalone abuse & molestation at $1M adds $450–$1,400. A skilled home health agency with CON and Medicaid CMO contracts typically runs 40–60% higher once umbrella and cyber are added.
| Coverage | Small PHCP agency (~$350K payroll) | Skilled home health agency (~$1.2M payroll) |
|---|---|---|
| General liability $1M/$2M | $1,200 – $2,300 | $3,000 – $6,500 |
| Professional liability | $1,000 – $2,200 | $3,500 – $8,000 |
| Workers' compensation | $5,500 – $11,000 | $19,000 – $42,000 |
| Abuse & molestation ($1M) | $450 – $1,400 | $900 – $2,600 |
| Non-owned & hired auto | $350 – $750 | $700 – $1,600 |
| Cyber liability | $650 – $1,500 | $1,400 – $3,500 |
Step-by-step: getting licensed and insured in Georgia
1) Decide whether you need a PHCP license or a CON-governed Home Health Agency license. 2) Bind general and professional liability before you file the DCH application — proof of coverage is part of the packet. 3) Add workers' compensation before your third employee starts. 4) Confirm abuse & molestation is embedded or endorsed at $1M. 5) Add non-owned & hired auto for caregiver travel. 6) Upload certificates with the DCH application. 7) Raise limits and add cyber plus umbrella before signing CCSP, SOURCE, Amerigroup, CareSource, or Peach State contracts. KTL issues Georgia certificates the same business day.
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