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Starting Your Own Home Care Business by: Marcia Oliver MSPT
California PT - I commend you for wanting to set up a home health care agency to serve your community. If you've ever seen the Grand Canyon and then actually hiked it you have a good idea of what it will be like to start your own home health care agency. It's a big job and then when you actually get into all the nitty gritty, it can be overwhelming. In my 16 years of home care PT, I've seen most, if not all of the mom and pop agency's get swallowed up by the big dogs. Amedisys, Intrepid, Gentiva to name a few have the big money to do what it takes.
Having said that, as an entrepreneur myself, I wish you the best in your pursuit. To begin to grasp what is involved with a home care business, check out http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/hha.asp. There is a lot you have to know, do and keep up with... it's not a moonlighting endeavor.
You need to have 7 clients, have three months of operating funds and steady revenue. That alone can knock you down as most of these patients will need physical therapy, occupational therapy, skilled nursing, home health aid and/or medical social worker. You will need to get state licensing and hire your employees, do background checks on them and accept insurance including Medicare.
You may be better of starting your own cash practice Home Health Care Agency provided CA is a free access state. You won't be able to bill Medicare and Insurance but neither will you have the headaches of running your own home health care agency.
