How Do You Get on Your Area Agency on Aging's Provider List?
Call your AAA, ask how it buys in-home services, and apply at its next procurement. What AAAs fund, what they require, and how to stay on the list.
By Caregiver Scheduling Team ·
Find your Area Agency on Aging (AAA) through the Eldercare Locator or 1-800-677-1116, ask how it buys in-home services, and apply when it next opens its provider list. Most AAAs contract for homemaker, personal care and respite hours under the Older Americans Act, and 41% also hold a state Medicaid waiver contract. You will need a state license, insurance, background checks and the ability to report units of service.
What does an AAA actually fund?
AAAs plan and fund Older Americans Act (OAA) services locally. There are 613 of them nationwide, each covering a planning and service area. Each decides which services to deliver itself and which to buy from local providers.
| Funding stream | What it pays home care agencies for | Who is eligible |
|---|---|---|
| OAA Title III-B supportive services | In-home supportive services such as homemaker, personal care and chore hours (45 CFR 1321.85) | Adults 60 and older |
| OAA Title III-E caregiver support | Respite hours that give a family caregiver a break (ACL) | Family caregivers of older adults |
| Medicaid HCBS waiver | Waiver personal care, when the AAA does case management or holds the waiver contract | Medicaid-eligible adults who meet the level of care |
| VA and local funds | Veteran-directed care, county levy programs | Varies by program |
The Medicaid piece is bigger than many owners expect. In USAging’s 2025 survey, 46% of AAAs held some Medicaid contract and 41% contracted with the state for HCBS waiver services. If your AAA does waiver case management, it also controls waiver referrals. See how to become a Medicaid home care provider and our Medicaid waiver tool.
Who can receive AAA-funded home care?
Anyone 60 or older, with no income test. The OAA defines an “older individual” as age 60 or older, and 45 CFR 1321.81 makes that the eligibility rule for in-home services. Means testing is prohibited. AAAs instead prioritize greatest economic and social need, and they ration hours.
Providers must give every recipient a chance to contribute toward the cost, but services cannot be denied to anyone who does not or cannot pay (45 CFR 1321.9). Some states run a sliding-scale cost-sharing program instead. Either way, you bill the AAA for units delivered, not the client.
How do you become a contracted provider?
Ask the AAA how it procures in-home services, then meet every item in its request for proposals.
- Call the AAA’s contracts or provider relations office. Ask for the current provider list, the next procurement date and the service definitions and rates.
- Ask separately about Medicaid waiver enrollment, caregiver respite and the resource directory. These are often different doors.
- Prepare the packet: state license, liability and workers’ comp insurance, background check policy, caregiver training records, service area, rates and references.
- Respond to the request for proposals on time. Many AAAs only open their lists every few years.
- Once approved, meet the case managers who place clients. They pick the provider who answers the phone and starts care.
If the list is closed, ask to be added to the AAA’s referral directory so families calling the AAA still get your name. See home care referral sources and partnerships.
What will the AAA expect from you?
Federal rules set a baseline for every provider that takes OAA funds (45 CFR 1321.79). Your contract will add state and local terms.
| Requirement | What it means for a small agency |
|---|---|
| Serve people in greatest need | Report how you reach low-income and minority clients in your area |
| Offer the chance to contribute | Hand out the AAA’s contribution notice without pressure |
| Report danger | Call adult protective services when a client is in imminent danger |
| Emergency arrangements | A plan to keep serving clients in storms and outages |
| Unit reporting | Hours by client, by service code, by month, usually on the AAA’s form or portal |
| Credential proof | Current license, insurance, background checks and training on file |
Rates are set by the AAA or the state and are usually below private pay, so treat the contract as a steady base load. See private pay vs Medicaid for the math.
Why bother if the rates are low?
Because demand already exists. In the 2025 USAging survey, 71% of AAAs had a waitlist for OAA services. Among those, 56% had a waitlist for personal care and 55% for homemaker or chore services. A provider that returns calls the same day becomes the case managers’ first choice, and they also refer private-pay families who do not qualify.
How do you stay on the list?
Say yes or no to a referral within a day, start care fast and send your units on time. Renew insurance and license ahead of expiry, because a lapse can suspend the contract. Track each client’s authorized hours so you never bill past the cap. See authorization tracking.
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Each authorization is stored with its hours, service code and dates, and on Growth and up the scheduler blocks visits past the cap. Geofenced check-ins give you verified units for the monthly report, and open shifts on the map help you accept referrals fast. $199/month for up to 10 caregivers or $299/month for up to 50, free for 30 days.
FAQ
Do AAAs pay for home care directly? Yes. They fund homemaker, personal care and respite hours under the Older Americans Act, and many also hold Medicaid waiver contracts.
Is there an income test for OAA home care? No. Clients must be 60 or older. Means testing is prohibited, though AAAs prioritize greatest need and may ask for voluntary contributions.
Are AAA rates negotiable? Rarely. Rates are set by the AAA or the state in the procurement.
What if the provider list is closed? Ask when it reopens, and request a listing in the AAA’s referral directory in the meantime.