INTERIM HOME CARE UTAH
VA's Community Care Network: How a Referral Actually Works
We've mentioned being an "approved VA provider" throughout this pillar without fully explaining what that means in practice. This article is that explanation — how a veteran actually ends up with an outside agency like ours, rather than assuming VA can only deliver care through its own facilities.
What the Community Care Network Actually Is
VA's Community Care Network (CCN) is the system that lets VA-enrolled veterans receive care from outside providers and agencies — not VA employees — when it makes sense for their situation. Instead of every veteran needing to travel to a VA facility for every service, VA contracts with private providers, including home care agencies, to deliver certain kinds of care directly in the community, with VA paying the agency.
How This Applies to Home Care Specifically
Programs like the Homemaker/Home Health Aide (H/HHA) service are delivered this way: a veteran's VA care team assesses the need, and if approved, the veteran is referred to a CCN-contracted agency in their area — the veteran chooses among the approved options, and VA pays the agency directly. The veteran typically doesn't handle billing at all.
How the Referral Actually Starts
It begins with the veteran's own VA primary care team, not with an outside agency reaching out first. Asking specifically for a referral to the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program — or requesting a Geriatrics and Extended Care consult — is usually the concrete first step. From there, a social worker or nurse assesses the need and, if approved, the veteran selects a CCN agency to provide the care.
Why "Approved VA Provider" Actually Matters
Being part of VA's Community Care Network means we can be one of the agencies a veteran chooses once they're approved for CCN-funded home care — not every home care agency is set up to work within this system. If you're not sure whether your VA medical center's referral process includes us, that's a conversation worth having directly with your VA care team, and one we're happy to help you navigate from our side.
Our 7th Week Guarantee
No long contracts. If you don't feel the difference after six weeks of care at 20 or more hours a week, your seventh week is free — whether your care comes through VA's Community Care Network, private pay, or a mix of both.
Get Started
Call us at (801) 401-3515 if you're trying to figure out how to actually start the VA referral process, or whether we're an option through your specific VA medical center.
Learn more about the VA Homemaker & Home Health Aide program, our veterans home care services, and VA Aid & Attendance.
Veterans & VA Home Care Benefits
More from this series
VA Veteran Directed Care Program | Interim
Veteran Directed Care lets eligible veterans manage a flexible VA budget to hire their own home care — sometimes including family. Here's how it works.
VA Housebound Benefit vs Aid & Attendance | Interim
Housebound and Aid & Attendance are both VA pension enhancements, but you can only get one. Here's the real difference and how to know which applies.
PCAFC: VA Caregiver Stipend Program | Interim
PCAFC pays a family caregiver a monthly stipend to care for a veteran with a serious service-connected condition. Here's who qualifies and what's included.
VA Homemaker & Home Health Aide Program | Interim
The VA's H/HHA program pays a contracted home care agency directly to help a veteran at home — often at little or no cost. Here's how it's different from Aid & Attendance.