How to start an adult day care center in Idaho
Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).
- License required
- NoNo state license. Adult day health providers under Medicaid waivers sign a Medicaid provider agreement with additional adult day health terms. Commission on Aging-funded adult day care follows Senior Services Program rules.
- Application fee
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Personal care / attendant care (hourly)
- $6.11per 15 min · $24.44/hr
- Organizations in the state
- 31NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
Idaho adult day care center license
Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).
- License required
- No
- License
- No state license. Adult day health providers under Medicaid waivers sign a Medicaid provider agreement with additional adult day health terms. Commission on Aging-funded adult day care follows Senior Services Program rules.
- Issuing agency
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs)
- Medicaid waiver coverage
- HHS (2014) reported that adult day health is covered under the Aged and Disabled 1915(c) waiver and the Adult Developmental Disabilities waiver.
Enrolling as a Idaho Medicaid provider
- Program
- Idaho Medicaid (Department of Health and Welfare)
- Enrollment portal
- Idaho Medicaid Health PAS OnLine (www.idmedicaid.com) — Trading Partner Account and Provider Enrollment Application
- Fiscal agent
- Gainwell Technologies
- Application fee
- Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.
- Fingerprinting
- Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
- Site visit
- Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.
- Revalidation
- Idaho is moving its high-risk provider types to revalidation every three years, more often than the federal five-year minimum, and posts its 2026 revalidation correspondence with CMS on its enrollment page. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.
Does Idaho require a certificate of need?
- CON program
- No
Idaho wage floor
- State minimum wage
- $7.25 an hour
- Effective
- 2009-07-24
- Scheduled increases
- No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.
- HCBS 80/20 rule
- Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.
Idaho market size
Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.
- Adult day care clinics/centers — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
- 31 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
- Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
- 307,060 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
What Idaho Medicaid pays
Home care & personal care: published Idaho fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.
| Service | Code | Idaho rate | Per hour | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care / attendant care (hourly)Agency provider | S5125 | $6.11per 15 min | $24.44 | 22 of 27 |
| Homemaker / housekeeping helpAgency provider | S5130 | $5.26per 15 min | $21.04 | 7 of 9 |
| Companion careAide or attendant | S5135 | $5.54per 15 min | $22.16 | 12 of 20 |
| Respite care (hourly)Agency provider | T1005 | $3.51per 15 min | $14.04 | 37 of 38 |
| Respite care (daily)Agency provider | S9125 | $51.25per day | — | 33 of 34 |
Idaho HCBS waivers
Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.
- Adult Developmental Disabilities Waiver (1915(c))
- Aged and Disabled Waiver (1915(c))
- 1915(i) State Plan HCBS Benefit for Children with Developmental Disabilities (1915(i))
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start an adult day care center in Idaho?
Idaho does not require a state license for an adult day care center, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid; Idaho Commission on Aging (Older Americans Act programs). Adult day health — Medicaid waiver provider agreement (no state license).
Does Idaho require a certificate of need for an adult day care center?
No. Idaho has no certificate of need program.
How do you become a Medicaid provider in Idaho?
Enroll through Idaho Medicaid Health PAS OnLine (www.idmedicaid.com) — Trading Partner Account and Provider Enrollment Application (https://www.idmedicaid.com/default.aspx), run by Gainwell Technologies.
What does Idaho Medicaid pay a adult day care center?
Idaho Medicaid pays $6.11 per 15 min for personal care / attendant care (hourly), effective Jul 1, 2026, ranking 22 of 27 states.