Choosing a home health agency is a personal decision. Public CMS data can help you compare Medicare-certified agencies on the things CMS measures. This guide walks through how to use SeniorCareRating.com to do that, and where the data stops.
Key points
✓Start by location — most home health care is delivered locally.
✓Compare the CMS star rating and the individual outcome, safety, and timeliness measures.
✓Check which services an agency offers, and treat missing data as 'not reported,' not zero.
1. Find agencies near you
Open the unified search and choose the Home health agencies provider type, then filter by state and city. Most home health care is delivered in the patient's home, so a nearby, Medicare-certified agency is usually the practical starting set.
2. Compare the CMS star rating
The quality-of-patient-care star rating (1–5) is a quick summary. Use it to shortlist, not to decide — a one-star gap between two agencies can come down to a few measures. Many agencies have no rating because they are small or new; that is not a negative mark.
3. Look at the individual measures
On an agency page, the measures are grouped into outcomes (did patients get better at walking, bathing, breathing), safety (falls with major injury, pressure sores), timeliness (did care start promptly), and hospital visits. Compare the specific measures that matter for your situation rather than only the single star.
Each measure shows the number of patients or episodes behind it. A percentage from a handful of patients is less reliable than one from hundreds — the denominator is shown so you can weigh it.
4. Check services and ownership
Agencies differ in the services they offer — nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, medical social services, and home health aide services. Confirm the agency offers what you need. CMS also reports the type of ownership, which you can see on each agency page.
5. Verify before deciding
CMS data can lag current conditions. Confirm an agency's current certification, services, and contact details on Medicare's official Care Compare, and speak with the agency directly. This site is a public-data reference and is not medical or care-placement advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to start comparing home health agencies?▾
Start with location and Medicare certification, then compare the CMS quality-of-patient-care star rating and the individual outcome, safety, and timeliness measures. Confirm services offered and verify current details with CMS.
Should I rule out an agency with no star rating?▾
Not automatically. CMS suppresses ratings for agencies with too few patient episodes or that are newly certified. A missing rating usually means the agency is small or new, not low quality.
Does this site recommend a specific agency?▾
No. SeniorCareRating.com reports CMS-published facts without adding its own ranking, score, or recommendation. Care decisions should be made with qualified professionals.
Verify with official sources
SeniorCareRating.com organizes public CMS data and is not affiliated with CMS or any facility. Confirm current details on the official CMS Care Compare site and with the facility before making decisions.
SeniorCareRating.com summarizes public CMS data. It is not affiliated with CMS, Medicare.gov, or any nursing home. Data may lag current conditions. This is not medical, legal, or care-placement advice — always verify with official sources and qualified professionals.
