Does Georgia require CON for home health?

Yes. Georgia is a Certificate of Need (CON) state for Medicare-certified home health agencies, regulated by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). Existing CON-protected home health licenses are scarce and trade at premium multiples. Hospice is also CON-regulated in Georgia. Personal care services and private-duty nursing have separate licensure requirements.

What licensure does a Georgia personal care agency need?

Personal care agencies in Georgia are licensed by GA DCH as Private Home Care Providers. Medicaid-funded personal care flows through the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) waiver, the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP), and SOURCE program — each with separate provider enrollment processes.

What are typical Georgia home care valuation ranges?

Personal care / private home care: 4x–6.5x adjusted EBITDA. Medicare home health (CON-protected): 9x–13x adjusted EBITDA. Hospice (CON-protected): 9x–13x. Multi-license CON-protected platforms command meaningful premium.

Who are active buyers in Georgia?

Strategic buyers active in GA include Pennant Group, BrightSpring, Compassus, VITAS, Aveanna Healthcare (Atlanta-headquartered), Help at Home, Addus, and multiple regional Southeast consolidators. PE-backed platforms with Southeast concentration actively pursue Georgia tuck-ins.

How does Atlanta concentration affect M&A?

The Atlanta MSA (~6M population) accounts for the majority of Georgia home care M&A activity. Multi-county Atlanta operations command premium valuation through scale and density. Secondary metros (Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, Macon) attract regional buyer interest with somewhat lower competitive intensity.

Selling Home Care Agency Georgia 2026

Georgia is one of the Southeast’s premier home care M&A markets, anchored by Atlanta’s demographic scale, strong PE buyer interest, and CON-protected home health and hospice licensure that create scarcity premiums. For Georgia home care owners, 2026 offers favorable exit conditions across all major sub-sectors.

Georgia Regulatory Framework

Certificate of Need (CON)

Georgia maintains CON requirements for:

Medicare-certified home health agencies
Hospice
(Skilled nursing, hospital, and other facility-based care)

Georgia DCH oversees CON. New entry restrictions create premium valuation for existing CON-protected licensure.

Private Home Care Provider License

GA DCH licenses Private Home Care Providers for personal care services. Categories include:

Personal Care Services
Companion Sitter Services
Skilled Nursing Services
Home Health Aide Services

Medicaid HCBS Waivers

CCSP (Community Care Services Program) — primary elderly HCBS waiver
ICWP (Independent Care Waiver Program) — physical disability HCBS
SOURCE — service options using resources in a community environment
NOW/COMP — IDD waivers

Other

GA EVV compliance
Caregiver background check requirements

Georgia Payer Landscape

Georgia Medicaid Managed Care

GA Medicaid managed care MCOs include CareSource Georgia, Amerigroup Georgia, Peach State Health Plan (Centene), and others. Multi-MCO contracted personal care providers command premium positioning.

Medicare

Standard CMS framework. GA MAC: Palmetto GBA.

VA Community Care

Strong VA presence in Georgia (multiple VA facilities). Important referral source.

Private Pay

Strong private pay market in Atlanta MSA, Savannah, and coastal markets.

Georgia Regional Dynamics

Atlanta MSA

~6M population
Most concentrated PE and strategic buyer interest
Multi-county operational complexity (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Clayton, etc.)
Diverse payer mix

Savannah / Coastal Georgia

Growing demographics
Regional buyer interest
Distinctive operational profile

Augusta

Border with SC
Cross-state operational considerations
Stable buyer interest

Columbus, Macon, Athens

Secondary metros
Regional and local buyer competition
Specific demographic profiles

Rural Georgia

More limited buyer pool
Specialty regional consolidators
Distance and density considerations

Valuation Ranges (Q2 2026)

Asset Type	EBITDA Size	Multiple Range
Private Home Care (sub-$1M)	sub-$1M	3.5x–5x
Private Home Care ($1M–$3M)	$1M–$3M	4.5x–6.5x
Private Home Care ($3M+)	$3M+	6x–8x
Medicare home health (CON)	All sizes	9x–13x
Hospice (CON)	$1M+	9x–13x
Multi-license CON platform	$3M+	9x–13x

Premiums apply for CON-protected licensure, Atlanta multi-county footprint, multi-MCO contracting, strong compliance history.

Most Active Georgia Buyers

National Strategics

Aveanna Healthcare — Atlanta-headquartered, multi-service
Pennant Group — Home health, hospice
BrightSpring Health Services — Multi-service
Compassus — Hospice and home health
VITAS — Hospice
Help at Home — Personal care
Addus HomeCare — Personal care
BAYADA — Multi-service

Regional Strategics

Hospital-affiliated home care (Piedmont, Wellstar, Northside, Emory)
Southeast regional consolidators
Georgia-specific consolidators

PE-Backed Platforms

Multiple PE-backed Southeast platforms
National PE platforms with GA footprints

Georgia-Specific Diligence

CON licensure transferability and historical filings
Private Home Care Provider license history
CCSP / ICWP / SOURCE waiver participation
Atlanta multi-county operations coordination
EVV compliance
Caregiver workforce stability

How Hendon Partners Helps Georgia Sellers

Hendon Partners advises Georgia home care owners across CON-protected home health and hospice, Private Home Care Providers, and multi-license platforms through preparation and sale process. Our buyer network includes the strategic acquirers and PE platforms most active in the Southeast.

Schedule a confidential Georgia-focused conversation with Hendon Partners →

Hendon Partners is a sell-side only M&A advisory firm with Southeast home care transaction experience.

Selling a Home Care Agency in Georgia: 2026 M&A Guide