Rate Card
The schedule of billing rates charged to clients or payers for each service type, organized by service category and payer. Rate cards are the pricing foundation for all invoices and claims.
Also known as: rate card · fee schedule · billing rate schedule · pricing schedule · payer rate schedule
A rate card is a structured list of the hourly or per-visit rates an agency charges for each service type — personal care, homemaker services, companion care, overnight care — broken down by payer category (private pay, Medicaid waiver by state, VA, MCO).
Rate cards inform care plan financial planning during intake, drive invoice generation, and are used to model the financial impact of payer mix changes on ODP margin.
Private pay rates are set by the agency; government payer rates are set by state or federal program rules and may change on an annual or policy-driven basis.
In home care, this means…
Referenced during intake when setting up client billing. Updated whenever payer rates change. Used in ODP margin modeling.
Related terms
Payer →
Any entity that pays for home care services: government programs (Medicaid, VA), managed care organizations, long-term care insurance companies, or private individuals and families (private pay). Payer mix is a critical driver of agency revenue and margin.
Payer Mix →
The distribution of a home care agency's revenue across payer types — private pay, Medicaid waiver, VA, MCO, and insurance. Payer mix is a primary driver of margin, cash flow predictability, and compliance burden.
Invoice →
A billing document sent to a private-pay client or insurance payer itemizing services delivered, dates, hours, rate, and total amount due. For government payers, the equivalent document is a claim.
Claim →
An electronic billing document submitted to a government or insurance payer requesting reimbursement for services rendered. Claims include authorization codes, service codes, units delivered, dates of service, and provider information.
ODP (Owner's Discretionary Profit) →
A financial metric representing revenue minus direct caregiver costs (wages, mileage, benefits), before office overhead. ODP measures the unit economics of care delivery and is the primary profitability metric for home care agency operators.