Queens Home Care License Lawyer

Home Care Licensing Attorney Serving Queens, NY

Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, and that diversity drives a wide range of home health care needs. Immigrant communities in Flushing, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Jamaica require home care aides who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Spanish, and dozens of other languages. The growing senior population throughout the borough creates consistent demand for personal care services, skilled nursing, and home health aide support. If you are starting a home care agency in Queens, acquiring an existing LHCSA, or addressing a DOH compliance issue, our firm provides experienced legal representation.

A Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA) license from the New York State Department of Health is required for any organization that provides nursing, home health aide, or personal care services in a patient's home. The application process requires demonstrating public need, financial feasibility, and the character and competence of the proposed operator. Our attorneys prepare LHCSA applications, represent clients before the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC), and handle change of ownership transactions for agencies serving Queens County.

Our Lower Manhattan office is accessible from Queens via the E, F, M, R, 7, or N/W trains. We work with home care operators, investors, and healthcare entrepreneurs throughout Queens County. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your home care licensing needs.

Home Care Licensing Services for Queens Clients

LHCSA License Application

Queens' diverse communities and multilingual populations create strong demand for home care services, from Flushing and Bayside to Jamaica and the Rockaways. Obtaining a new LHCSA license requires a Certificate of Need (CON) application submitted to the Department of Health. The application must address three criteria: public need for home care services in your proposed service area, the financial feasibility of the agency, and the character and competence of the applicant. For Queens applicants, demonstrating public need can be challenging given the number of existing LHCSAs already licensed to serve Queens County. Our attorneys evaluate whether a new application is viable, identify potential grounds to overcome the public need presumption, and prepare thorough applications that address every element the DOH and PHHPC review.

LHCSA Change of Ownership

Queens home care agencies are acquisition targets for operators looking to expand into the borough's diverse, high-demand market. The DOH change of ownership process for Queens agencies follows the same regulatory framework but requires attention to the agency's specific service area and patient contracts. Acquiring an existing LHCSA is often the most practical path to operating a home care agency in Queens. A change of ownership transaction requires DOH approval and PHHPC review, but buyers are not required to demonstrate public need if the agency being acquired is actively serving at least 25 patients and has been licensed for a minimum of five years. Our firm handles every aspect of the acquisition: conducting due diligence on the target agency, reviewing financial records and compliance history, negotiating the purchase agreement, preparing the change of ownership application, and representing the buyer through the regulatory approval process.

DOH Compliance and Regulatory Matters

Queens agencies must maintain compliance while serving one of the most linguistically diverse patient populations in the country, with programs addressing language access and culturally appropriate care. The Department of Health conducts periodic surveys of LHCSA operations and investigates complaints from patients, staff, and other parties. If a survey identifies deficiencies, the agency must submit a plan of correction within 10 days. Serious or repeated violations can result in enforcement actions, fines, or license revocation. Our firm assists Queens home care agencies with responding to deficiency findings, preparing plans of correction, defending against enforcement actions, and implementing compliance programs to prevent future violations.

Medicaid Managed Care Contracting

Queens agencies contract with MCOs serving the borough's diverse Medicaid population, requiring understanding of which plans have the strongest enrollment in specific Queens neighborhoods. Queens home care agencies contract with managed care organizations serving the borough's diverse Medicaid population. MCO contracting in Queens requires understanding which plans have the strongest enrollment in specific neighborhoods. Most Queens LHCSAs provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries through contracts with Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans. These contracts govern reimbursement rates, service authorization procedures, billing requirements, and dispute resolution. Our attorneys review and negotiate MLTC contracts on behalf of home care agencies, advise on Medicaid billing compliance, and assist with disputes over denied claims or contract termination. We also help new LHCSA operators navigate the process of enrolling as a Medicaid provider and securing their first managed care contracts.

Administrative Licensure Amendments

Queens agencies that expand into new service areas, add skilled nursing or therapy services, or relocate their offices must file amendment applications with the DOH. LHCSA operators may need to amend their license for various reasons: expanding their approved service area to additional counties, adding or closing a site, changing the agency's name, or updating ownership information that does not rise to the level of a change of ownership. As of August 2025, the DOH revised its administrative amendment process, requiring all amendments to be submitted to the Bureau of Home and Community Based Services Licensing Unit for approval. Our firm prepares and files these amendments and ensures compliance with the updated procedures.

What Queens Home Care Operators Should Know

Queens County has a large and growing population of seniors and individuals with chronic health conditions who need home care services. The borough's extraordinary linguistic diversity means that home care agencies must recruit and retain aides who speak the languages of the communities they serve. Agencies that can demonstrate the ability to provide culturally and linguistically competent care may have stronger grounds for a new LHCSA application, particularly if they can show that existing agencies are not adequately serving specific populations in neighborhoods like Flushing, Elmhurst, or South Ozone Park.

Like Brooklyn, Queens has a significant number of existing LHCSAs, which means new applicants must overcome the public need presumption if five or more agencies are actively serving patients in the county. Applicants can address this by presenting evidence of underserved populations, long wait times for services, or a lack of agencies providing care in specific languages such as Bengali, Punjabi, or Tagalog. Our attorneys evaluate whether a viable public need argument exists before you invest time and resources in the application process.

For operators considering an acquisition in Queens, the market includes agencies of varying size and specialization. Some focus on the Chinese-speaking population in Flushing, others serve the South Asian communities of Jackson Heights and Richmond Hill, and still others operate more broadly across the borough. Due diligence should include a thorough review of the target agency's compliance history, managed care contracts, staffing capacity, and patient census by service area. Our firm conducts detailed due diligence and structures acquisitions to protect the buyer.

Why Queens Clients Choose Agarunov Law Firm

Agarunov Law Firm represents home care operators, investors, and healthcare entrepreneurs from our Lower Manhattan office. We understand the regulatory framework that governs LHCSA licensing in New York and provide practical guidance at every stage of the process.

• Experienced in LHCSA applications, change of ownership transactions, and DOH compliance
• Due diligence, purchase agreement negotiation, and PHHPC representation for LHCSA acquisitions
• Medicaid managed care contract review, negotiation, and billing compliance
• Accessible from Queens via the E, F, M, R, 7, or N/W trains to our Financial District office
• Licensed in both New York and New Jersey for operators serving patients in both states

How Our Home Care Licensing Process Works

• Step 1: Consultation. We discuss your goals, whether you plan to start a new LHCSA or acquire an existing agency, your proposed service area, and your financial resources. This initial consultation is free.
• Step 2: Feasibility Assessment. We evaluate whether a new LHCSA application is viable in Queens County based on the current public need landscape, or identify acquisition targets if purchasing an existing agency is the preferred approach.
• Step 3: Application or Acquisition. For new applications, we prepare the CON application including public need analysis, financial projections, and character and competence documentation. For acquisitions, we conduct due diligence, negotiate the purchase agreement, and prepare the change of ownership application.
• Step 4: Regulatory Review. We manage communications with the DOH, respond to any requests for additional information, and represent you before the PHHPC when the application is reviewed for approval.
• Step 5: Post-Approval Compliance. After licensure, we assist with Medicaid enrollment, managed care contracting, policy and procedure development, and ongoing regulatory compliance.