How to Ask for a Home Health Agency by Name

Reviewed by Ylmard Grimaldi, LVN
Last reviewed: October 5, 2026

When you need home health care, you have a say in which agency you use. You can ask for an agency by name. This guide shows you what to say and who to say it to.

The short answer

• You can choose a Medicare-certified home health agency that serves your area.
• Your doctor, the hospital discharge planner, or the facility staff should respect your choice (CMS).
• Tell them the name of the agency you want. Say it early, before you leave the hospital or facility.
• Ask them to write your choice in your chart.

Words to know

• Home health agency: A company that sends nurses and therapists to your home. They follow your doctor's care plan.
• Medicare-certified: The agency meets federal health and safety rules. Medicare can pay it for covered care.
• Discharge planner: The person at a hospital who helps plan your care after you go home. This may be a nurse, a social worker, or a case manager.
• Skilled nursing facility (SNF): A place where you may stay for nursing care or rehab after a hospital stay. Many people call it a "rehab" or "nursing home."
• Referral: The order or request that sends you to an agency for care.

What Medicare says about your choice

• You have a say in which home health agency you use (CMS).
• Your doctor, hospital discharge planner, or other referring provider should honor your choice (CMS).
• A hospital must tell you that you are free to choose. It must respect your wishes when it can. It must not limit you to only some agencies.
• If home health fits your needs, the hospital must give you a list of Medicare agencies that serve your area.
• The hospital must also tell you if it has a money tie to an agency on its list.
• In a skilled nursing facility, staff must include you in planning your discharge. They must think about your goals and wishes.
• You can change agencies later if you want. Talk with your doctor to get a new referral.

When your choice may be limited

Your choice is real, but a few things can limit it:

• Your health plan. A Medicare Advantage plan, or another health plan, may ask you to use agencies in its network. These are agencies it has a contract with. Call your plan to ask.
• Where you live. The agency must serve your area.
• The care you need. An agency may say no if it cannot meet your medical needs.
• Timing. The agency must be able to start when you need care.

Step by step: how to ask

1. Talk with your doctor

• Ask, "Do I need home health care?"
• Home health needs an order from a doctor or other allowed provider.
• Tell your doctor the name of the agency you want.
• Ask your doctor's office to send the referral to that agency.

2. Tell the discharge planner (in the hospital or a facility)

• Ask to talk with the discharge planner or case manager. Do this early in the stay.
• Tell them the agency's full name.
• Give them the agency's phone and fax numbers if you have them.
• Ask them to write your choice in your chart.
• Ask, "When will you send the referral? Who will call us?"

3. Check with your health plan (if you have one)

• If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or other plan, call the number on your card.
• Ask, "Is this home health agency in my network?"

4. Call the agency

• You can call the agency yourself.
• Ask if it serves your area and if it can start when you need it.
• Ask if it takes your insurance.

What to say

You can read these words out loud. You can also write them down and hand them to staff.

• "We want [agency name] as our home health agency. Please write this choice in my chart."
• "Please send the home health referral to [agency name]."
• "Can you tell me when the referral was sent?"

If they suggest a different agency

Stay calm and polite. You can say:

• "Thank you. We still want [agency name]. Please write down our choice."
• "Is there a reason we cannot use that agency?" (For example, it may not serve your area, or it may not be in your plan's network.)
• "May I see the list of agencies that serve my area?"
• "Does the hospital have a money tie to the agency you suggest?"

If you still have a problem:

• Ask to talk with the case management or social work supervisor.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• Call your health plan if you have one.

If you want Newstart Home Health

• Newstart Home Health Inc is licensed in 7 Southern California counties. We are currently serving Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange Counties. We are also Medicare-certified.
• We accept Medicare and Medi-Cal. Coverage rules can be different for each person and health plan.
• Doctors' offices and care teams can send a referral by phone or fax.
• You and your family can call us, too. A real person will help you. It is free to call.

Questions to ask

Ask the doctor

• Do I need home health care?
• Will you send the referral to the agency I chose?
• Who in your office can help if there is a problem?

Ask the discharge planner

• Did you write my choice of agency in my chart?
• When will the referral go out?
• When should I expect a call from the agency?

Ask the home health agency

• Are you Medicare-certified?
• Do you serve my area?
• Do you take my insurance?
• Can you start when I need care?

Related pages

• Request Care
• Get Started
• Service Areas
• Coverage & Partnerships
• What Medicare Home Health Covers (and What It Doesn't)

Sources

1. Medicare.gov (CMS). "Medicare & Home Health Care," CMS Product No. 10969 (Section 2: Choosing a Home Health Agency). https://www.medicare.gov/publications/10969-medicare-and-home-health-care.pdf (checked Oct 5, 2026, PT)
2. CMS regulation, 42 CFR 482.43, hospital discharge planning: list of home health agencies, "freedom to choose," and disclosure of financial interest (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-482.43 (checked Oct 5, 2026, PT)
3. CMS regulation, 42 CFR 483.21(c), skilled nursing facility discharge planning: involving the resident and addressing goals and treatment preferences (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-483.21 (checked Oct 5, 2026, PT)
4. Medicare.gov (CMS). "Home health services." https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services (checked Oct 5, 2026, PT)
5. Medicare.gov (CMS). "Care Compare: Home Health." https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?providerType=HomeHealth (checked Oct 5, 2026, PT)

Last reviewed: October 5, 2026