How do I get Medicaid referrals for my home care agency?

Medicaid referrals do not come from advertising alone. In Georgia’s Community Care Services Program (CCSP), the client has the final choice. The registered nurse care coordinator asks the client to choose an agency for each service in the care plan. The nurse considers the doctor’s recommendation, special needs such as weekend or evening care, whether the service is available in the county, and whether the agency is enrolled.

So your steps are:

1. Be fully licensed and enrolled in the program you want. Georgia says enrollment does not guarantee referrals.
2. Make it easy for a coordinator to say yes: a clear list of the counties, hours (nights, weekends) and services you cover.
3. Answer referral calls the same day, and answer honestly. A fast "no, we cannot cover that county" helps them more than a slow "maybe."
4. Meet the doctors, discharge staff and community groups your clients already trust, and tell them exactly what you do.
5. Keep your caregivers steady. A good start of care is how coordinators remember you.

Other Georgia programs, such as SOURCE, ICWP, NOW and COMP, have their own case managers or support coordinators. Check each program’s manual for how agencies are chosen.