Home Health Aide Services

Revised: March 19, 2025

· Overview

· Eligible Providers

· Eligible Members

· Authorization Requirements and Assessments

· Covered Services

· Noncovered Services

· 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, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) or 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:

· Medical Assistance

· MinnesotaCare: Expanded benefit set – pregnant people and children (under age 21)

· MinnesotaCare: Basic Plus, Basic Plus One, and Basic Plus Two

· Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA): If being treated for a chronic diagnosis

· Waivered Services programs

Authorization Requirements and Assessments

Authorization is required for all HHA services.

No assessment is required for HHA services. However, HHA services must be ordered by a physician, APRN or PA.

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 providing 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

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)