The short answer Arizona DHS licenses home health agencies under A.A.C. R9-10 Article 12, deferring to the federal 75-hour aide rule, but the state does not license non-medical home care agencies at all — personal care/companion caregivers at private-pay agencies have no state training mandate.
What Arizona requires
Arizona
HHA rules. Home health agencies are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services under Arizona Administrative Code Title 9, Chapter 10, Article 12 (R9-10-1201 et seq.), which requires aides to meet the training and competency standards of the federal Medicare conditions of participation.
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Federal 75-hour baseline. Home health aides at Medicare-certified agencies need 75 hours of training (at least 16 supervised practical) plus competency evaluation, and 12 hours of in-service per 12-month period, under 42 CFR 484.80.
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No non-medical licensure. Arizona does not license or register non-medical home care (personal care/companion) agencies, so there is no state-required training curriculum or hour minimum for private-pay personal care aides.
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Medicaid/DES exception. Caregivers providing non-medical home and community-based services under Arizona DES/AHCCCS contracts must meet contract-based training and competency requirements (e.g., DES Policy Chapter 3100), even though no state license applies to private-pay work.
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The federal baseline (applies in every state)
Federal
75-hour HHA training standard. Under 42 CFR 484.80(b), home health aides at Medicare-certified home health agencies must complete a training program of at least 75 hours, including at least 16 hours of classroom training completed before beginning at least 16 hours of supervised practical (hands-on) training.
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Competency evaluation / CNA pathway. 42 CFR 484.80(a) allows aides to qualify by completing the 75-hour training and competency evaluation program, by passing a competency evaluation alone, or by completing a state nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (CNA) and being in good standing on the state nurse aide registry.
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12-hour annual in-service. 42 CFR 484.80(d) requires home health aides to receive at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period, which may occur while the aide is furnishing care and must be supervised by a registered nurse.
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RN trainer requirements. Under 42 CFR 484.80(b)(3) and (c)(2), classroom and supervised practical training must be performed by or under the general supervision of a registered nurse with at least 2 years of nursing experience, at least 1 year of which must be in home health care; competency evaluations must likewise be performed by an RN in consultation with other professionals.
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Primary sources for this page
- https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_09/9-10.pdf
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-484/subpart-B/section-484.80
- https://www.phinational.org/advocacy/personal-care-aide-training-requirements/
- https://des.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/3100-Non-Medical-HCBS.pdf
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