Authorizations
How Do 15-Minute Medicaid Billing Units Work for Home Care?
Four units equal one hour. How to convert units to hours, the common HCPCS codes, how states round partial units, and how to stay inside the authorization.
How many 15-minute units is this visit?
Pick your state and enter how long the visit was. The calculator shows the billable units and, if you want, how many are left on the client's authorization.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026
How do you convert units to hours?
Divide units by 4 to get hours. Multiply hours by 4 to get units. An authorization for 120 units a week is 30 hours.
| Visit length | Midpoint rule (8+ minutes) | Full units only |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 2 units | 2 units |
| 53 minutes | 4 units | 3 units |
| 1 hour 7 minutes | 4 units | 4 units |
| 2 hours 10 minutes | 9 units | 8 units |
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Set a client's weekly pattern once and the calendar fills itself, with authorized hours kept in check. Visit times come from geofenced check-in and check-out, so the minutes you convert are the minutes the visit actually lasted. See scheduling.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Four. Most Medicaid home and community-based services codes are billed in 15-minute units, so divide units by 4 to get hours.
Follow your state’s rounding rule. Many use a midpoint rule where 8 or more minutes count as a unit; others pay only for full units or round the day’s total minutes. The same 53-minute visit can be 3 units in one state and 4 in another.
Units above the authorized amount are usually not paid. Track units used against the authorization every week, and ask the case manager for a change before the client needs more hours.
Related guides
Authorizations
How Do You Keep Caregiver Hours Inside a Medicaid Authorization?
Track units remaining, the end date and the service code for every client, and check them before each schedule change. Hours over the cap are unbillable.
Operations
Minimum Visit Length: Making Short Visits Profitable
One-hour home care visits lose money once paid travel and overhead are counted. Set a 2 to 4 hour minimum or a short-visit rate, and cluster Medicaid visits by route.
EVV
Why EVV Claims Get Denied and How to Fix Them
EVV claims are denied when the claim line does not match an accepted visit: client ID, date, provider, service code or units. How matching works, the seven causes, and a routine that keeps denials low.
From the reference library
- What is HCPCS code S5125? (Billing codes)
- What is HCPCS code S5130? (Billing codes)
- What is HCPCS code S5135? (Billing codes)
- What is HCPCS code S5150? (Billing codes)
- What is HCPCS code T1019? (Billing codes)
- What is HCPCS code T1005? (Billing codes)
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