How fast do I need to answer a referral?
No rule I found gives agencies a set number of minutes to answer. But Georgia coordinators work on short clocks: 24 hours to send a referral packet after services are brokered, and emergencies within 24 hours. Answer the same day, even if the answer is no.
I did not find a state rule that says how many hours an agency has to answer a referral. But the people sending you the referral are on a clock.
In Georgia’s CCSP manual, standards of promptness say:
- New client: services brokered within 3 business days after the level of care is assigned.
- Emergency client: services brokered within 24 hours.
- The referral packet goes to the agency within 24 hours of brokering.
A slow reply can push the start of care back and make the coordinator move to the next agency.
A practical routine:
- Decide who answers referral calls and emails, and who backs them up.
- Reply the same day. If you cannot take it, say so right away and say why (county, hours, no caregiver available).
- If you can take it, say when you can start and who will visit.
- Confirm the first-visit time to the coordinator in writing.
- Track your response times in a simple log.
If you can, answer within the hour during working hours. That is my suggestion, not a state requirement.
Sources
- CCSP Care Coordination (provider choice and standards of promptness) · Georgia Division of Aging Services
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
How CareBravo®’s Referrals & Reputation agent handles this
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