In APD's terms, a solo provider personally delivers the services and doesn't employ anyone to render the services being billed. An agency has two or more employees, counting the owner. That's the whole test: forming an LLC doesn't make you an agency, and neither does using subcontractors — agency status takes employees. The provider application makes you pick one: “Solo Provider (Applicant alone will be providing services)” or “Agency Provider (Two or more W-2 employees to provide services).”
Side by side
| Solo provider | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Who delivers the service | You, personally — no employees render the services you bill | Two or more W-2 employees, counting the owner |
| Personal Supports 1:1 (per quarter hour) | $5.75 | $6.13 ($6.85 in Monroe) |
| Personal Supports 1:2, non-geographical | $3.96 | $4.83 |
| Companion (LSD 1) 1:1 | $5.31 | $5.69 |
| Supported Living Coaching, non-geographical | $6.57 | $8.50 |
| When you can't work a shift | Backup must be a separately enrolled provider the WSC authorizes | Another qualified employee covers it |
| Screening and training | Just you | Everyone who serves clients; employees don't file their own APD application |
| Workers' compensation | Not required | Required at 4+ employees (LLC members and officers count) |
Rates are APD's iBudget rates effective July 1, 2026; search every service and region in the rate table.
Which services each can offer
Solo or agency: Personal Supports, Companion (Life Skills Development 1), Supported Employment (LSD 2), and Supported Living Coaching all list solo providers and agencies as eligible in the iBudget Handbook. Needs more than enrollment: Adult Day Training (LSD 3) and Prevocational Services (LSD 4) must be designated by the APD regional office, and ADT also needs an APD program license. Residential Habilitation must be delivered by the owner or operator of a licensed residential facility. Waiver support coordinators can't be solo — they enroll through a Qualified Organization. Respite is the murky one: the Handbook's provider list reads as agencies and licensed entities, while the rate table carries solo respite rates — ask your regional office before you plan on it as a solo provider.
Do you need an office or a house?
For non-residential services, no. The application asks for a physical business address — it can't be a P.O. box — and we found no APD rule requiring a commercial office. What the rules do set:
- Where services happen: Personal Supports can't be provided in your home or the home of your relative or friend. A home office is fine; a home service site isn't.
- Where records live: the Waiver Services Agreement names the address where your financial and administrative records are kept, and APD, AHCA and their reviewers can inspect them. Keep records six years after the agreement ends and personnel files at least five years after the service was billed; electronic records are allowed.
- Equipment: the Handbook expects a computer used exclusively by the provider, with secure internet and email — you live in iConnect.
- Facilities are different: a group home needs the property, and an adult day training program can't operate in an occupied dwelling, storage unit, or garage.
How to choose
Start solo if you'll deliver every hour yourself, want the lowest startup cost, and can live with one person's schedule — a sick day means the WSC arranges another enrolled provider. Start as an agency if you plan to hire from day one: you earn the higher rate and can cover shifts, but you screen and train every employee, carry payroll before Medicaid pays, and keep a complete personnel file for each. You can grow later — APD has a Solo to Agency process in iConnect — so the first choice isn't permanent. To put numbers on it, try the startup cost calculator.
Once you have staff
The day you hire, the paperwork doubles: screening, training deadlines, and a personnel file per employee, all checked in your Provider Discovery Review. Waiversoft is built for small agencies at exactly that point — $20 per consumer per month, with staff files, training expiration tracking, scheduling, and caregiver clock-in in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a solo provider and an agency for APD?
A solo provider personally renders the waiver services and doesn't employ others to render the services being billed. An agency has two or more employees, including the owner. Forming an LLC or corporation doesn't make you an agency — for rate purposes you're solo until you employ at least two people counting yourself, and a provider that only uses subcontractors isn't an agency either.
Do agencies get paid more than solo providers?
Yes, for most services. With the rates effective July 1, 2026, Personal Supports 1:1 pays $6.13 per quarter hour to an agency versus $5.75 solo, and the gap widens at group ratios — 1:2 Personal Supports in non-geographical counties is $4.83 agency versus $3.96 solo.
Do I need an office or a house to become an APD provider?
Not for non-residential services like Personal Supports, Companion, or Supported Living Coaching. The application needs a physical business address (not a P.O. box), and we found no APD requirement for a commercial office — but Personal Supports can't be delivered in your own home or a relative's or friend's home. Licensed group homes need the property, and an adult day training program can't operate in an occupied dwelling, storage unit, or garage.
Can a solo APD provider hire employees?
Not to deliver the services you bill as a solo provider — employing staff who render services makes you an agency, with agency rates and agency obligations. APD has a Solo to Agency process in iConnect for making the switch.
Do I need an LLC to be an APD solo provider?
No. The provider application accepts either an FEIN or a Social Security number, and business registration and articles are listed as “if applicable.” Many owners still form an LLC for banking and liability reasons; that choice is yours, not APD's.