If your current home care agency is letting your family down, you are not stuck with them. In Pennsylvania’s Community HealthChoices (CHC) program you choose your agency — and you can change it without reapplying, without losing your authorized hours, and usually without a single missed day of care.
Most families don’t realize switching is even an option. Your authorized weekly hours belong to you and your care plan, not to the agency delivering them — so when you switch, your hours come with you.
Can You Switch Without Losing Your Hours?
Yes. In Community HealthChoices, you choose the provider agency and have the right to change it if the current one isn’t meeting your needs. The switch is handled through your existing Service Coordinator, and a good incoming agency times it so there’s no gap in care. When you switch, these all stay exactly the same:
- Your authorized hours — they transfer with you, exactly as they are.
- Your plan and MCO — Keystone First or PA Health & Wellness stays in place.
- Your Service Coordinator — the same coordinator authorizes your new agency.
- Your care plan — the services and schedule you’re approved for.
You do not have to reapply, repeat the eligibility assessment, or wait out a new 30 to 45 day approval. Switching is far faster than starting from scratch because your eligibility work is already done.
Signs It’s Time to Switch
You don’t need a dramatic reason. If you’re quietly worried every week, that’s reason enough. The patterns we hear most often from families who come to us:
- Caregivers show up late — or not at all.
- No backup when the regular caregiver is sick.
- A revolving door of new faces.
- You can’t reach a real person at the office.
- Care doesn’t match the plan, or hours keep getting cut short.
How Switching Works
A good agency makes this nearly effortless. Here’s the path from your first call to your new caregiver’s first visit:
- Call us for a free, no-pressure conversation. Tell us what’s going wrong and what your loved one needs. We confirm your plan and make sure we’re the right fit before anything changes.
- We coordinate with your Service Coordinator. With your okay, we get Apple Home Care authorized as your provider. Your hours and care plan carry straight over.
- We match a caregiver to your loved one. Someone who fits their personality and schedule — and who has passed FBI and state background checks, health screening, and reference checks.
- Care begins, usually within 24 to 48 hours. We time the start so there’s no gap, and stay in close touch through the transition.
Why Families Switch to Apple Home Care
- Caregivers who show up — we staff with backup so a sick day doesn’t become your problem.
- Thoroughly screened, local caregivers — FBI and Pennsylvania state background checks, TB and health screening, references, and an in-person interview.
- Consistency — we keep the same caregiver with your loved one so trust can build.
- A team that answers — a real person who knows your family.
- Fast starts — most switches are running within 24 to 48 hours.
Not sure which plan you have? Apple Home Care is in-network with Keystone First and PA Health & Wellness — see how your CHC plan covers in-home care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my authorized hours if I switch agencies?
No. Your authorized weekly hours are tied to you and your CHC care plan, not to the agency. They transfer to the new agency exactly as they were — you don’t lose any hours or have to “use them up” first.
Do I have to reapply for CHC or Medicaid to switch?
No. Switching agencies doesn’t affect your eligibility. You keep your CHC enrollment, your MCO, and your Service Coordinator. There’s no new application and no repeat assessment — only the provider agency changes.
Will there be a gap in care during the switch?
There shouldn’t be. A good agency times the transition around your current schedule so coverage stays continuous and your loved one isn’t left without support.
How long does it take to switch?
Once your Service Coordinator authorizes the new agency, care can usually begin within 24 to 48 hours — far faster than a first-time CHC application, because your eligibility work is already done.
Does my Service Coordinator have to approve the change?
Your Service Coordinator handles the paperwork to authorize your new agency, but the choice of agency is yours. We work directly with them so you don’t have to manage the back-and-forth.
What if I have Keystone First or PA Health & Wellness?
Apple Home Care is in-network with both, so you can switch to us and keep all your benefits. If you’re not sure which plan you have, we can help you check during your free consultation.
Ready to Switch?
If your current agency isn’t reliable, you don’t have to settle. Call 215-730-1020 or email info@applehomecr.com for a free, no-pressure consultation. Most families are up and running with a new caregiver within 24 to 48 hours — with no loss of hours and no gap in care.