Home health care services are delivered under the guidance of a patient's physician, in close collaboration with hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers and facilities so that patients move seamlessly from one setting to the next as their needs change.

Home health care agencies are governed by state and federal regulations. To be reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid, home health agencies must meet strict requirements established by the federal Health Care Financing Administration. Periodic unannounced audits by state Departments of Public Health ensure that agencies comply with those regulations and clinical standards of care.