Amedisys Home Health is a Medicare-certified agency that delivers nursing and therapy care at home. Optum owns the company, and doctors order the care. Medicare typically pays for eligible patients who recover from surgery, injury, or illness across many US communities and towns.
Amedisys offers nursing, therapy, and aide visits under a physician’s plan of care. Patients qualify when a doctor certifies them as homebound. Reviews split between warm praise and weak Trustpilot scores. The company claims a 4.2 star average against a 3.24 national norm. Coverage keeps costs low for eligible patients nationwide, with some limits.
The real picture mixes strong ratings, small review samples, and fresh ownership questions. Our team at Eat Proteins weighed the public evidence so you can judge fairly. Read on to learn what the care includes, who qualifies, what reviewers say, and exactly how to start the process.
What Is Amedisys Home Health?
Amedisys Home Health is a Medicare-certified agency that delivers skilled nursing and therapy care in a patient’s own residence. The company also runs hospice and palliative programs. Doctors refer patients who need support after surgery, injury, or illness. Care happens in a house, apartment, or senior living community. A physician oversees every plan.
Amedisys Quick Facts:
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group |
| Core services | Home health, hospice, palliative care |
| Care setting | The patient’s home or senior community |
| Typical payers | Medicare, Medicaid, many private plans |
In fact, Amedisys serves patients through local care centers. Each center employs nurses, therapists, and aides. The company says more than 110,000 physicians nationwide have chosen it as a post-acute partner. Is that a big number? For a home health agency, yes.
Here’s the thing: families research agencies fast, usually right before a hospital discharge. Our team at Eat Proteins reviewed public ratings, company pages, and coverage rules to build this guide.
Who Owns Amedisys?
Amedisys is owned by Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Optum agreed to buy the company for $101 per share in cash. The price valued Amedisys at about $3.3 billion. The deal closed after a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Optum is the care and technology arm of the parent company. Amedisys now operates within that health system.
The Justice Department sued to block the merger in November 2024. The settlement required the sale of 164 home health and hospice locations in 19 states. Federal filings said less competition can hurt quality and pricing for Medicare Advantage patients.
To be clear, Optum and Amedisys argued the opposite. They said the merger would advance value-based care and improve patient outcomes. Is the ownership a red flag? Not by itself. The story has two sides.
What Services Does Amedisys Home Health Offer?
Amedisys offers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and home health aide visits. A medical social worker joins the team when needed. The patient’s doctor decides which services apply. The doctor then builds a plan of care with the Amedisys team. Services last as long as the plan requires. Teams adjust visits often.
Core Services:
| Service | Role |
|---|---|
| Skilled nursing | Medical monitoring and clinical care at home |
| Physical therapy | Strength, walking, and balance recovery |
| Occupational therapy | Relearning daily tasks safely |
| Home health aide | Personal care such as bathing and hygiene |
Visits happen wherever the patient lives. Locations include a house, an apartment, or a relative’s home. One Amedisys location page says nurses and therapists stay on call 24/7 for urgent needs. Why does that matter? Problems rarely wait for office hours.
Does Amedisys Offer Specialty Programs?
Yes. Amedisys runs specialty home health programs for COPD, heart failure, and fall risk. The company also provides hospice and palliative care as separate service lines. Each line carries its own eligibility rules, so families need to confirm which one fits. Specialty teams focus on conditions that often cause hospital readmissions. Ask the local center.
The fall program has a real-world example. One patient reported six falls after hospital discharge and none since therapy began. Of course, that story comes from Amedisys itself. Does that make it false? No, but it’s curated.
And here’s the kicker: the company says its hospice agencies beat the national average on all seven CMS measures.
How Does Amedisys Home Health Work?
Amedisys home health starts with a physician referral and a written plan of care. The doctor orders services, and the local center assigns a team. Clinicians then visit the home several times each week. The team works toward set recovery goals and keeps the physician updated on progress. Amedisys centers hold the Medicare certification coverage requires.
How the Process Works:
- The doctor orders home health care.
- The local Amedisys center assigns a care team.
- The team assesses the patient and writes a plan of care.
- Clinicians visit the home on the planned schedule.
- The doctor reviews progress and adjusts the plan.
Let me explain what that looks like. One patient with multiple sclerosis described a therapist who set goals and explained expectations. The therapist also called before every visit. Clear communication builds trust fast.
Visit frequency follows the plan. Another patient described two nurses and a physical therapist visiting a couple of days each week. Medicare covered the cost for that patient.
Who Qualifies for Amedisys Home Health?
Patients qualify when a physician certifies them as homebound and in need of skilled care. Homebound means leaving home takes help or a considerable, taxing effort. The patient also needs part-time skilled nursing or therapy. A physician must oversee the care plan. Medicaid and private plans use similar tests, though payer rules vary by plan and by state.
Does a short outing break the rule? Not at all. Church, the barber, and special family events are permitted. Absences just need to be infrequent and brief. Bedbound status isn’t required.
Providers must also document a face-to-face visit within 90 days before or 30 days after care starts. And one more catch: hospitals and skilled nursing facilities may not count as a home.
What Do Amedisys Home Health Reviews Say?
Amedisys reviews split between warm praise on Google and Facebook and weak scores on Trustpilot. One Google listing shows 4.5 out of 5 from 10 reviews. Facebook shows 64% of 239 reviewers recommend the agency. Trustpilot shows about 2.4 out of 5 from 11 reviews. Positive feedback centers on care teams, while negative feedback appears as low scores.
Rating Snapshot:
| Platform | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Google (one location) | 4.5 out of 5 | 10 |
| 64% recommend | 239 | |
| Trustpilot | About 2.4 out of 5 | 11 |
Sample sizes stay small on every platform. So no single score tells the whole story. Each score also reflects a different mix of locations. The bottom line: read local reviews for the center that would serve you.
What Do Patients Praise?
Patients praise nurses, therapists, and communication most often. A Facebook community thread says most users highly recommend Amedisys. Posters cite great nurses, staff, and communication. They call the nurses and therapists top notch. Patients also mention professionalism, patience, and kindness during long recoveries at home. Kindness stands out.
Company patient stories echo the theme. One hospice family described phone calls checking in and a team that responded day and night. What’s more, a home health patient praised two nurses and a therapist as professional and caring.
One patient wrote that other home health companies never matched the care Amedisys gave. Keep in mind that Amedisys publishes these letters, so the selection skews positive.
What Are the Common Complaints?
Complaints show up mostly as low star ratings rather than detailed stories. Only 64% of 239 Facebook reviewers recommend the agency, so roughly one in three do not. Trustpilot’s score of about 2.4 signals frustrated customers. The public pages list few specifics. Our team found no itemized complaint list in the public sources reviewed for this guide.
The good news? Low scores come from small samples. The bad news? Our team couldn’t verify recurring issues like billing or scheduling from public sources. Recent local reviews fill that gap best.
Federal filings raised a different concern. The Justice Department argued that quality can deteriorate or improve more slowly with less competition. That’s a market worry, not a patient complaint.
Is Amedisys Home Health Legit?
Yes. Amedisys is a legitimate, Medicare-certified home health provider owned by a major national health company. CMS publishes star ratings for its agencies. Patients receive care from trained nurses and therapists working under physician orders. Doctors nationwide refer patients to the company regularly. Clinicians work in communities nationwide today.
Legitimacy Signals:
- Medicare-certified home health centers
- Public CMS star ratings
- Owned by Optum and UnitedHealth Group
- Referrals from over 110,000 physicians
- Published patient letters and public reviews
Legit doesn’t mean perfect. The Trustpilot score and the antitrust case show real critics exist. Does that make Amedisys a scam? No. Amedisys is simply a large agency with uneven local results.
Is Amedisys Medicare Certified?
Yes. Amedisys operates Medicare-certified home health care centers. Medicare requires that certification before it pays for home health services. The company confirms this on its home health FAQ page. Families can verify any single center through the government’s Care Compare tool. Certification is a baseline legal requirement, not a quality grade.
CMS publishes star ratings for Medicare-certified agencies on Care Compare. Patients can compare quality scores before choosing.
How Does Amedisys Compare to Other Home Health Agencies?
Amedisys rates above the national home health average on CMS star ratings, according to the company. Amedisys reports an average of 4.2 stars out of 5. CMS says most agencies score 3.24 stars. The gap favors Amedisys, though the figure comes from the company’s own website. Local centers can score higher or lower than the company average. Always check yours.
Quality Benchmarks:
| Measure | Amedisys | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Home health stars | 4.2 average | 3.24 typical agency |
| Hospice measures | Above average on 7 of 7 | National average |
| Physician partners | 110,000+ | Company-reported |
| Medicare certified | Yes | Required for coverage |
Competitor names weren’t part of our research, so no head-to-head claims appear here. Our experts at Eat Proteins suggest comparing two or three local agencies on Care Compare. Ratings vary by location.
What Do the Star Ratings Show?
Star ratings measure the quality of patient care at Medicare-certified agencies. CMS runs the program, and 3.24 stars marks a typical agency. Amedisys cites a 4.2 average across its centers. A higher score means stronger measured performance than most peers. The ratings give families an objective way to compare agencies side by side. Use them first.
Averages hide variation. Does every center hit 4.2? No. Individual centers land above or below that mark. So look up the exact center on Care Compare before you commit.
How Much Does Amedisys Home Health Cost?
Amedisys home health is typically covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans for eligible patients. Coverage summaries say Medicare pays the cost of eligible home health services in full. The patient must be homebound and under a physician’s care. A Medicare-certified agency must deliver the care. Costs stay low for eligible patients.
Who Pays:
| Payer | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Medicare | Typically covers eligible home health care |
| Medicaid | Typically covers for eligible patients |
| Private insurance | Many plans cover eligible care |
| Eligibility | Doctor orders care and certifies homebound status |
Amedisys doesn’t publish a price list on the pages our team reviewed. Costs depend on the plan of care and the payer. So the real question is eligibility. Who decides that? Your doctor does.
Is Amedisys Home Health Worth It?
Yes, for eligible patients. Amedisys delivers covered in-home nursing and therapy that many patients rate highly. Coverage makes the out-of-pocket cost low for qualifying patients. The company’s 4.2 star average adds a quality signal. Google and Facebook reviews lean positive too. Patient letters describe recoveries and steady support at home daily.
The value drops when a patient doesn’t qualify. Why? Out-of-pocket care then falls outside the Medicare benefit. So the eligibility check comes first, and the price comes second.
Where Can You Find Amedisys Home Health?
Amedisys operates home health care centers in communities across the United States. A location finder on its website lists each center. Examples in our research include Burlingame, California, Bloomington, Indiana, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Hours vary, and one center lists weekday office hours of 8 am to 5 pm. Check the finder for your zip code first.
How Do You Get Started?
Getting started takes a doctor’s referral and a call to the nearest Amedisys center. Healthcare providers can refer patients by phone, fax, or online using fast-track forms. Families can also contact a care center directly to ask about services and coverage. Staff at each center answer coverage questions by phone and explain the next steps in detail.
Steps to Start:
- Ask your doctor whether home health fits your recovery.
- Find the nearest center on the Amedisys location page.
- Have the doctor send a referral by phone, fax, or online.
- Complete the assessment with the care team.
- Review the plan of care and the visit schedule.
The website also offers a home health assessment quiz. The quiz gives families a first read on fit. Does it cost anything to try? No.
Why Should You Follow Eat Proteins for Home Health Guidance?
Eat Proteins gives families a plain-English read on health services before they commit. Our team at Eat Proteins checks public ratings, coverage rules, and ownership details so you don’t have to. Skip the guesswork today. Check your eligibility, compare local ratings, and ask your doctor for a referral. Real numbers beat marketing claims every time.
What Is the Final Verdict on Amedisys?
Amedisys is a solid choice for eligible patients who want Medicare-covered nursing and therapy at home. The company holds Medicare certification, a 4.2 star average, and thousands of grateful patient letters. Mixed Trustpilot scores and antitrust scrutiny remind buyers to check their local center first. Patients with a doctor’s referral gain the most.
You’re one phone call from an answer. Talk to your doctor, pull up your local center on Care Compare, and decide with real numbers. Every week of delay is a week without help at home.