A new report found that Florida is home to more than 100 of the nation’s “best” home health agencies, which provide a range of skilled nursing care, therapies, instruction and medications to patients, often after a hospitalization.
The increasing demand for those services was the impetus to U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever Best Home Health rankings, which were released Tuesday.
The study scored data from the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and patient surveys to evaluate more than 12,000 providers that were rated as:
- High Performing: a “Best Home Health” distinction for exceeding expectations.
- As Expected: met the standards.
- Evaluated: did not meet the standards.
In Florida, 1,099 Medicare-certified agencies were assessed, and 103 earned a designation of “High Performing” – about 9.6%.
Another 543 were rated "As Expected," with 92 as "Evaluated" and 359 unrated due to insufficient data.
"No two agencies are identical, and we found that the Best Home Health agencies each excelled in different ways," said Ben Harder, chief of analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.
He said a pattern developed, however, showing the better providers promptly initiated care and excelled at preventing hospitalization.
In Florida, only 9.3% of patients cared for by "Best Home Health" agencies experienced a potentially preventable hospitalization, compared with a10.2% average statewide.
Across all agencies, more than 1 in every 25 patients experienced a delay of more than two days before home care began. But such delays were extremely rare among "High Performing" agencies – only about 1 in every 200 patients experienced a delay.
Nationally, 1,319 agencies were “High Performing,” while 5,288 rated “As Expected.”
Similar benchmarks were evident for the top-rated group:
- Care began on time for 99% of patients, compared with 94% nationally.
- 93% of patients improved in walking or mobility, versus 83% nationwide.
- Patients were more likely to regain independence by getting out of bed, bathing and managing medications.
Because states vary widely in the number of licensed agencies – from nearly 3,000 in California to 15 in Hawaii – comparing raw totals are misleading.
However, Florida’s “High Performing” total ranks third nationally behind California (151 of 2,982 agencies) and Texas (133 of 1,869).
By percentage, Florida’s share of high performers is comparable to California (about 5%) and Texas (about 7%), though still below the roughly 11% nationally (1,319 out of more than 12,157).
Several states, including Alaska, Montana and Vermont, had no agencies achieve the “High Performing” status, though each has fewer than two dozen providers.
For consumers, the U.S. News ratings are designed to be used alongside physician guidance to identify agencies with a documented track record of strong patient outcomes and satisfaction.
“For patients recovering from surgery or managing a chronic condition, the quality of care they receive at home can be the difference between a successful recovery and a costly rehospitalization,” Harder said. “Families often must make crucial post-acute care decisions during stressful times and on very short notice. These new ratings are intended to serve as a helpful starting point.”
Because, the methodology differs from CMS’ star rating system, a provider’s U.S. News designation may not match its CMS Quality of Patient Care or Patient Survey star ratings.
U.S. News’ 2026 Florida’s ‘Best’ Home Health Agencies
- Accentcare Home Health of Port St Lucie
- Accomplished Home Care of Port Charlotte
- All at Home Healthcare, Jacksonville
- Alpha Home Health Agency Corp., Miami
- Alpha Home Health Solutions, Orlando
- Assisted Home Health of Punta Gorda
- Aveanna Home Health of Gainesville
- Aveanna Home Health of Stuart
- Baycare Home Care of Dunedin
- Baycare Home Care of Leesburg
- Baycare Home Care of New Port Richey
- Better @ Home of Ocala
- Better Services Home Health Corp., Miami
- Brooks Rehabilitation Home Health of Daytona Beach
- Caring For Elderly Home Care, Miami
- Caring Professional Services of Hialeah
- Centerwell Home Health of Beverly Hills
- Centerwell Home Health of Gainesville
- Centerwell Home Health of Daphne, Alabama
- Centerwell Home Health of Jacksonville
- Centerwell Home Health of Lake City
- Centerwell Home Health of Lake Mary
- Centerwell Home Health of Land O Lakes
- Centerwell Home Health of Marianna
- Centerwell Home Health of Melbourne
- Centerwell Home Health of Orlando
- Centerwell Home Health of Panama City
- Centerwell Home Health of Shalimar
- Certified Homecare of the Palm Beaches
- Coastal Breeze Home Health, Sarasota
- Colquitt Regional Home Care, Moultrie, Georgia
- Community Care Providers, Broward County
- Community Home Health Services of Lake Worth
- Complete Home Care of Broward County
- Confident Care of Florida Corp. of Palm Coast
- Confident Care of Florida Corp. of Sunny Isles Beach
- Dial 4 Care, Miami Lakes
- Distinguished Home Health Care Services, Broward
- Elder's Choice, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie
- Elite Home Health Group of Boca Raton
- Empath Home Health of Clearwater
- Empath Home Health of Fort Myers
- Enhabit Home Health of Blountstown
- Enhabit Home Health of Clearwater
- Enhabit Home Health of Jacksonville
- Enhabit Home Health of Jupiter Medical Center
- Enhabit Home Health of Panama City
- Enhabit Home Health of Sarasota
- First at Home, Palm Beach County
- First Choice Home Health of Boynton Beach
- Florida Homecare Specialists, Tampa Bay, Central Florida
- Grace Family Home Care, Largo
- Halifax Health Care at Home, Port Orange
- HCA Florida Healthcare at Home of Bradenton
- HCA Florida Healthcare at Home of Melbourne
- HCBC of Miami
- Health at Home of Boynton Beach
- Health Care of South Florida of North Miami Beach
- High Standard Health Services, Miami
- Highlite Home Care of Delray Beach
- Home Preferred Solution Corp., Coral Gables
- Indian River Home Care
- Lakeview Terrace Home Health Services, Altoona
- Lovely Home Health Care, Miami
- Marilu Home Health Care, Hialeah
- Mederi Caretenders of Bradenton
- Mederi Caretenders of Brooksville
- Mederi Caretenders of Palm Bay
- Medi Home Health Agency of Pensacola
- Millennium Home Care, Port Charlotte
- Mission Home Health of Pensacola
- Naples Home Health Care
- Navigate Home Health Care, Cape Coral
- NHC Homecare of Carrabelle
- NHC Homecare of Chipley
- NHC Homecare of Crawfordville
- NHC Homecare of Merritt Island
- NHC Homecare of Panama City Beach
- NHC Homecare of Vero Beach
- Noble Home Health Services of Pompano Beach
- Patients First Home Care of Sarasota
- Peoples Home Health, Pensacola
- Pines Home Health Care Services, Davie
- Precise Home Care, Jacksonville
- Preferred Care Home Health Services of Fort Myers
- Primecare Home Health, Clearwater
- Priority Senior Care, West Palm Beach
- Professional Home Services of Miami Lakes
- Professional Plus Home Health of Miami
- Real Solutions Home Health Care, Delray Beach
- SET Home Health, Crystal River
- Sarasota Home Health Care Agency of Osprey
- Southeast Homecare of Jacksonville
- Stat Home Health Florida Panhandle
- TEHC of Rockledge
- Tender Touch Health Care Services of Panama City
- Trilogy Home Healthcare of Estero
- Trilogy Home Healthcare of Port Saint Lucie
- Trilogy Home Healthcare of Sarasota
- Trilogy Home Healthcare of West Palm Beach
- Trilogy Home Healthcare of Wewahitchka
- United Care Home Health Services, Davie
- Vennus Home Health, Miami
- Visiting Nurse Association of Florida of Stuart
- Visiting Nurse Association of Florida of Weeki Wachee
