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You are not stuck with your agency.

Families switch GAPP providers all the time, and the program has a formal transfer process for exactly that. Your authorized hours belong to your child, not to the agency holding them.

The thing most families do not know

There is no long-term contract binding you to a GAPP agency. Georgia Medicaid authorizes hours for your child based on the plan of treatment their physician signed. Those hours follow your child. Changing which agency delivers them is a transfer, not a new application.

That means you are usually not starting over, and you are usually not going back to the end of a queue. Agencies do not always volunteer this.

What to look at

  • Your authorized hours belong to your child, not the agency
  • There is no long-term contract and no penalty for leaving
  • Your physician’s plan of treatment stays the same
  • Your existing prior authorization is the starting point, not scrap
  • You do not have to explain or justify your reasons to anyone
  • Care should not stop while the transfer is processed

Do not resign from your current agency before the new one has confirmed what it can staff and when. The single thing that creates a gap is leaving first and arranging second.

How to do it without a gap

The order matters more than anything else here.

  1. Talk to the new agency firstBefore you give notice anywhere. Ask specifically what they can staff, in your county, for your child’s hours. A real answer names a shift pattern, not a promise.
  2. Get your paperwork togetherYour current authorization letter, your child’s plan of treatment, and the name of the physician who signs it. If you do not have copies, ask your current agency for them. You are entitled to them.
  3. Let the new agency start the transferThey coordinate with Georgia Medicaid and with your physician. This is paperwork they should be doing, not you.
  4. Give notice once the new coverage is realNot before. Overlap by a few days if you can.
Reasons families moveShifts going uncovered, constant nurse turnover, calls not returned, a nurse who is not a fit for the child, or billing and paperwork errors. None of these need justifying to anyone.
What a straight answer sounds like“We can cover four nights this week and we are recruiting for the fifth” is a real answer. “We can staff it” with no detail is not.
If we are not the right fitWe would rather help you move than have your child go without the right nurse. That applies whether you are leaving another agency or leaving us.

Questions families ask

Do I have to reapply for GAPP if I switch agencies?

Generally no. Your child’s eligibility and authorized hours come from Georgia Medicaid against the plan of treatment their physician signed, and a provider transfer is a change of who delivers the care rather than a new application. Your new agency coordinates the transfer.

Will my child lose hours by switching?

The hours are authorized for your child, so a transfer does not itself reduce them. What can change is what an agency is actually able to staff, which is a different question and the one worth asking hard before you move.

Do I have to tell my current agency why I am leaving?

No. You do not owe anyone an explanation. If you want to give feedback that is your choice, but it is not required and it does not affect the transfer.

How long does a transfer take?

It varies, and Georgia Medicaid sets the pace of anything on its side. The practical answer is that you should not give notice until the new agency has confirmed what it can actually cover, because that is what determines whether there is a gap.

Can we talk to you without committing to anything?

Yes. We will walk you through the transfer and tell you honestly what we can staff in your county, at no charge, whether or not you choose us.

Ready when you are.

Tell us about your child and a real person will walk you through what comes next. No cost, no obligation.

Check eligibility Call 678-459-2590

HeartPath Home Care is an approved provider for the Georgia Pediatric Program. We are not a government agency, and this page is not medical or legal advice. Georgia Medicaid decides who is approved, which services are authorized and how many hours.

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