Class A vs Class B Home Health Agencies in Colorado: What's the Difference?
Denver Home Care Editorial TeamFebruary 10, 2026
Class A vs Class B Home Health Agencies in Colorado: A Complete Guide
Last reviewed for accuracy: October 25, 2026.
Colorado uses Class A and Class B home care agency licenses to distinguish permitted services. The class is a useful first check, but it does not tell you every service an agency actually offers, whether staff are available, or which insurance plans it accepts.
Start with a list of tasks: nursing or therapy, help with bathing and dressing, meals, overnight supervision, or a combination. Use the license class to narrow the conversation, then ask each agency to explain how its proposed staff and care plan meet those needs.
Continue Comparing Care Options
Use the directory paths below to move from research into a short list of Denver-area providers.
If an agency describes its work as concierge nursing or private duty, ask for its actual license class and the service agreement. Those service descriptions do not replace verification of the agency license and the individual clinician's credentials.
What Is a Class A Home Health Agency?
Under Colorado CDPHE Chapter 26, section 4.1, Class A is the license classification for an agency providing skilled healthcare services. A Class A agency may also provide personal care. This is permission to provide services within the applicable rules, not confirmation that a particular agency offers every nursing or therapy service.
These are examples for an agency interview, not a guarantee about any listing. Ask who provides the service, what orders and assessment are needed, and whether it is available at your address. For comfort-focused care, ask separately about the provider and authorization for any hospice services.
Medicare certification is separate from Colorado licensure. Medicare's home health guidance requires a Medicare-certified agency, an ordered plan of care, and the patient's eligibility for covered home health. A Class A license alone does not establish that coverage. Use Medicare Care Compare, match the specific agency, and confirm your exact plan and start date. A missing certification number in this directory is not proof that an agency is uncertified.
When You Need a Class A Agency
If the care plan includes nursing, wound treatment, infusion, or therapy, discuss the need with the treating clinician and ask a Class A agency about that exact service. Give the agency the discharge instructions, proposed frequency, and address. Confirm who establishes and reviews the care plan, what orders are needed, and whether the agency can accept the referral before relying on a start date.
What Is a Class B Home Health Agency?
A Class B agency provides personal care and may not provide skilled healthcare services under CDPHE Chapter 26, section 4.1. A worker's nursing or aide credential does not by itself expand the agency's permitted scope. For Medicaid programs such as In-Home Support Services (IHSS), ask which additional HCPF program rules and authorizations apply to the exact tasks. Our personal care guide can help you prepare questions about daily assistance.
Personal Care Tasks to Discuss
Personal care, such as bathing, grooming, and dressing assistance
Mobility and transfer assistance within the worker's training and the service plan
Meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry
Medication reminders, with the agency explaining the limits of assistance
Describe tasks in practical terms rather than relying on a service label. For example, ask what help is available for a shower, a transfer, or a medication routine, and what happens when the person needs a task outside personal care. Confirm transportation arrangements, equipment needs, and any referral to another provider.
When You Need a Class B Agency
Personal care may fit daily assistance and caregiver respite needs. Ask the agency to assess the requested tasks and schedule. If skilled care is also needed, ask how it will coordinate with the clinical provider. For overnight or extended coverage, use our 24-hour home care guide to distinguish awake shifts, live-in arrangements, and nursing services.
Key Differences at a Glance
Class A permits skilled care and may include personal care; Class B covers personal care without skilled healthcare services. Neither class alone establishes a particular specialty, staffing level, quality rating, or insurance benefit. Compare the license, the proposed worker, the written tasks, and the payer authorization as separate questions.
Cost Comparison in the Denver Metro Area
Request written quotes for the same tasks, schedule, location, and start date. Ask whether the charge is hourly, per visit, or per shift; whether there is a minimum; and which assessment, travel, weekend, holiday, supply, or cancellation charges apply. An hourly caregiver quote and a nursing-visit quote are different units and should not be compared as though they cover the same service.
Check benefits separately from the quote. Medicare does not cover personal care when it is the only care needed, and does not pay for 24-hour-a-day care at home. Medicare explains its home health coverage conditions; ask the agency and plan to identify covered and uncovered services in writing. For Colorado Medicaid help, ask about Health First Colorado, Community First Choice (CFC), applicable waiver services, and the required authorization. Our Colorado payment guide explains where to start.
Can One Agency Provide Both?
A Class A agency may provide personal care as well as skilled services; a separate Class B label is not what establishes that permission. Ask whether the same agency actually offers both services and how it handles changes in need. HCPF's CFC personal-care licensing guidance accepts Class A or Class B for personal-care agency providers, with separate Medicaid enrollment and program requirements.
If two organizations will share care, ask which organization is responsible for each task, who receives updates, and whom the family should call when needs change. Do not assume an agency can add a skilled service simply because a familiar caregiver already visits the home.
How to Verify an Agency's License
For a licensed home care agency, match the legal name, location, license number, class, and current status to the CDPHE health facilities record. Review available inspection information and ask about unresolved concerns. Use our Colorado license-checking walkthrough for the process; different arrangements such as placement agencies and individuals working alone need separate checks.
Finding the Right Agency in Denver
Compare agencies using the same care checklist, then verify service coverage at your exact address, staff availability, and payment arrangements directly. Directory service tags and service areas help start the conversation; they do not guarantee clinical capability, admission, or insurance payment.