Home Care Agency Insurance in South Carolina
South Carolina requires a state license before a franchise or independent home care agency serves a single client, and the state licenses non-medical care — personal care, companion, and homemaker services — not just skilled nursing. If you own a home care agency in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, or anywhere in between, the state has expectations of you, and so do your clients’ families. Your insurance program should be built for both.
Chamberlin & Reinheimer specializes in insurance for home-based care. We are members of the South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association, managed by the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina — one team serving providers across both Carolinas. We have spent decades learning what care agencies face: the claims that happen, the ones that almost happen, and the coverage gaps most agencies do not discover until it is too late.
South Carolina Licensing & Insurance Requirements
Home care agencies in South Carolina are licensed under the state’s Standards for Licensing In-Home Care Providers, Regulation 60-122, under the South Carolina In-Home Care Providers Act, S.C. Code Ann. § 44-70-10 et seq. A few things that make South Carolina different:
- Non-medical care is licensed — personal care, companion, and homemaker services fall under state licensure, not just skilled nursing.
- Licensing sits with the state health department — the standards carried over through the state’s health agency restructuring, but the agency name on your paperwork changed.
- Licenses renew annually — and inspections review your policies, procedures, and personnel records.
- Medicaid-funded care runs through Community Long Term Care — the state’s waiver programs, which bring their own documentation and audit expectations.
Meeting the state's licensing requirements gets your agency in the door. Protecting it from what comes after — an accusation, an injury, a lawsuit — is what your insurance program is for. We help South Carolina agencies get both right.
Coverage for South Carolina Home Care Agencies
We build South Carolina programs from the same core lines we recommend to home care agencies everywhere — tuned to how South Carolina agencies operate:
Workers Compensation
Required for most South Carolina employers with four or more employees; covers work-related injuries and is the backbone of caregiver protection. Rising premiums make it harder to pay market wages and keep caregivers, which is why we provide free loss-control policies and procedures to help prevent and limit claims.
Learn moreProfessional & General Liability
The foundation of every agency's program, and what most contracts ask to see proof of.
Learn moreHired & Non-Owned Auto
Caregivers driving personal vehicles between clients is one of the largest exposures in home care.
Learn moreClient Property Theft
For allegations of theft or mysterious disappearance inside a client's home.
Learn moreAbuse Coverage
Frequently sub-limited in standard forms; we address it head-on.
Learn moreEmployment Practices Liability
For discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination claims brought against your agency as the employer — by staff, and by clients.
Learn moreCyber Liability
Data breach and cyber extortion protection for client records and payroll systems.
Learn moreProperty Insurance
For the business property you own or lease, from office equipment to laptops in the field.
Learn moreSurety Bonds
Not on its own. South Carolina licensing requires liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, and accepts a surety bond in its place. If a bond pays a claim, your agency has to pay the surety back.
Why South Carolina Agencies Work with Us
Our clients include home care agencies across the Carolinas and the Southeast. One South Carolina client put it simply: our work saved their agency thousands of dollars. We aim for every South Carolina client to say the same — not just lower premiums, but fewer claims, better protocols, and an agent who stays involved after the policy binds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a South Carolina license if my agency only provides non-medical care?
Yes. Under Regulation 60-122, South Carolina licenses personal care, companion, and homemaker services, not only skilled nursing. An agency offering companionship and help around the house still needs a state license before serving its first client.
What does South Carolina check before licensing my agency?
Before it issues a license, the state requires an in-state primary office in a commercially zoned or unzoned area, liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate (or a surety bond in its place), indemnity coverage for client injuries and losses, and workers comp. Whoever signs the application must also pass a SLED criminal record check and a drug test. Licenses renew every year, and the state can inspect your policies, procedures, and personnel records without notice.
Will I need a surety bond in South Carolina?
Not on its own. South Carolina licensing requires liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, and accepts a surety bond in its place. If a bond pays a claim, your agency has to pay the surety back. Insurance doesn't work that way.
Get a South Carolina Home Care Insurance Quote
Get a South Carolina quote: one form, and we’ll respond with real options — or call and talk through your operation with someone who knows home care.