The short answer Mississippi licenses only skilled home health agencies (MSDH Minimum Standards); its decades-old moratorium on new home health agencies (in effect since 1983) was struck down by a federal court in January 2026, though new agencies still need Certificate of Need approval. Non-medical personal care agencies are not licensed, so no state training applies to their caregivers.
What Mississippi requires
Mississippi
HHA licensure & training. Home health agencies are licensed by the MSDH Division of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification under the Minimum Standards of Operation for Home Health Agencies, which incorporate the federal Medicare aide training/competency requirements (75 hours).
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Moratorium struck down (2026). Mississippi's Certificate of Need program maintained a moratorium on approving new home health agencies from 1983 until January 2026, when a federal district court struck it down as unconstitutional; new agencies must still obtain Certificate of Need approval before opening or expanding.
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No PCA licensure. Mississippi does not license non-medical personal care or companion care agencies — they are absent from MSDH's list of regulated health facility types — so there is no state-mandated caregiver training for private-pay home care.
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In-service. Aides at licensed/certified home health agencies must receive 12 hours of in-service training per 12-month period per 42 CFR 484.80.
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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://msdh.ms.gov/page/resources/264.pdf
- https://magnoliatribune.com/2026/01/30/federal-judge-strikes-down-mississippi-moratorium-on-new-home-health-agencies/
- https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/30,0,83.html
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-484/subpart-B/section-484.80
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