Home Health Aide Services

Revised: June 22, 2026

· Overview

· Eligible Providers

· Eligible Members

· Authorization Requirements and Assessments

· Covered Services

· Noncovered Services

· Billing

· Legal References

Overview

Home Health Aide (HHA) services are medically oriented tasks that maintain a person’s health or support treatment of an illness or injury. A physician, an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) or a physician assistant (PA) must order the services; and the person delivering the services must have professional supervision by a Medicare-certified agency.

Eligible Providers

Medicare-certified home health agencies with a comprehensive home care license.

Eligible Members

Members must be eligible for one of the following programs:

AC	Alternative Care Program
BB	MinnesotaCare - state and federally funded coverage for adults age 19 years and older.
EH	Emergency Medical Assistance with an approved care plan certification.
KK	MinnesotaCare - state funded coverage for children through the end of the month they turn 19 years old.
LL	MinnesotaCare - state and federally funded coverage for children through the month they turn 19 years old.
MA	Medical Assistance
NM	State-funded Medical Assistance (MA)
RM	Refugee Medical Assistance (MA)
	Waiver Services Programs

Authorization Requirements and Assessments

Authorization is required for all HHA services.

HHA services must be ordered by a physician, an APRN or a PA; and must comply with the face-to-face visit requirement.

A registered nurse or appropriate therapist must complete an assessment to determine the member’s need for service and document it in the member’s record.

This assessment should do the following:

· Identifies the person’s needs

· Determines the outcome for the visit(s)

· Includes an individualized care or service plan

Covered Services

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) covers the following services:

· Help with personal cares such as bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, toileting, routine catheter and colostomy care, ambulating and transfers or positioning

· Simple dressing changes that do not require the skills of a licensed nurse

· Help with medications that are usually self-administered and do not require the skill of a licensed nurse to be provided safely and effectively

· Help with activities that are directly supportive of skilled therapy services but do not require the skill of a therapist to be safely and effectively performed, such as routine maintenance exercises

· Routine care of prosthetic and orthotic devices

· Incidental household services necessary to provide one of the previously listed health related services

Noncovered Services

MHCP does not cover the following services:

· Home health aide visits for the sole purpose of providing household, transportation, companionship or socialization services

· Services that are not medically necessary

· Services provided in a hospital, nursing facility, or intermediate care facility

· More than one HHA visit per day

Billing

All provider types must follow general MHCP billing policies and guidelines in the Billing Policy Overview section under Provider Basics in the MHCP Provider Manual when submitting claims to MHCP.

Submit claims for reimbursement of Home Care (Non-PCA) Services using the (837I) Institutional transaction.

Legal References

Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 440.70
Minnesota Statutes, 256B.0651 (Home Care Services)
Minnesota Rules, 9505.0290 (Home Health Agency services)