Des Moines Senior AdvisorThere are 20 Medicare-certified home health agencies based in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties. Medicare publishes a quality star rating for 13 of them, averaging 3.5 out of 5 against a Iowa average of 3 and a national average of 3. 4 are rated 4 stars or higher and 2 are rated 2 stars or lower. Every figure here comes from Medicare's own provider data, not from the agencies.
Which home health agencies in Des Moines have the highest Medicare ratings?
The table lists every agency, highest quality rating first. Agencies with a linked name have a full record page: each quality measure against the Iowa and U.S. averages, patient survey answers, hospital-use results, services, and the ZIP codes they serve.
| Agency | Quality of patient care | Patient survey | Certified since | Des Moines-area ZIPs served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aveanna Healthcare West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (515) 497-7700 | ★★★★★5 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 2014 | 40 |
| Centerwell Home Health Urbandale, IA 50322 · (515) 277-0977 | ★★★★★5 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 1987 | 55 |
| Good Samaritan Society-Home Care Indianola, IA 50125 · (515) 961-2596 | ★★★★★5 / 5 | No rating published | 2010 | 24 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Home Care Des Moines, IA 50309 · (515) 643-8383 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 1984 | 74 |
| Unitypoint at Home Urbandale, IA 50322 · (515) 557-3100 | ★★★½☆3.5 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 1984 | 85 |
| Angels Care Home Health of Iowa Des Moines, IA 50310 · (515) 252-2847 | ★★★½☆3.5 / 5 | ★★★☆☆3 / 5 | 2018 | 48 |
| Wesley Life Home Health Urbandale, IA 50322 · (515) 978-2777 | ★★★½☆3.5 / 5 | ★★★☆☆3 / 5 | 2004 | 74 |
| Faith Home Health Care West Des Moines, IA 50265 · (319) 330-1755 | ★★★½☆3.5 / 5 | No rating published | 2015 | 25 |
| Iowa Home Care, L L C West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (515) 222-9995 | ★★★☆☆3 / 5 | ★★★☆☆3 / 5 | 2004 | 45 |
| Everystep Des Moines, IA 50317 · (515) 558-9591 | ★★½☆☆2.5 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 2010 | 47 |
| Guthrie County Phns Guthrie Center, IA 50115 · (641) 747-3972 | ★★½☆☆2.5 / 5 | ★★★☆☆3 / 5 | 1979 | 10 |
| Suncrest Home Health West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (515) 327-6026 | ★★☆☆☆2 / 5 | ★★★★☆4 / 5 | 2017 | 59 |
| Optimae Home Health Services, Central Iowa Des Moines, IA 50309 · (515) 277-0134 | ★★☆☆☆2 / 5 | ★★☆☆☆2 / 5 | 2014 | 47 |
| Aveanna Healthcare West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (515) 497-7730 | No rating published | No rating published | 2005 | 6 |
| Childserve Home Care Inc Johnston, IA 50131 · (515) 727-8750 | No rating published | No rating published | 1999 | 2 |
| Family First Homecare of Iowa Urbandale, IA 50322 · (515) 280-2180 | No rating published | No rating published | 1995 | 8 |
| Freedom Home Health Care Ankeny, IA 50021 · (515) 207-1501 | No rating published | No rating published | 2009 | 35 |
| Innovive Health of Iowa West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (800) 915-3211 | No rating published | No rating published | 2021 | 31 |
| Open Arms Home Health Care - Des Moines, LLC Des Moines, IA 50316 · (515) 266-3800 | No rating published | No rating published | 2017 | 2 |
| Skilled Care Home Health Services West Des Moines, IA 50266 · (515) 974-6451 | No rating published | No rating published | 2024 | 11 |
How are Des Moines home health agencies spread across Medicare's star ratings?
Of the 13 rated agencies in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties, 4 hold 4 stars or more. The other 7 have no star rating, usually because they are new or see few Medicare patients.
| Quality of patient care | Agencies |
|---|---|
| 5 stars | 3 |
| 4 stars | 1 |
| 3.5 stars | 4 |
| 3 stars | 1 |
| 2.5 stars | 2 |
| 2 stars | 2 |
What is home health care, and what is it not?
Home health care is skilled medical care at home, ordered by a doctor and delivered in visits by nurses and therapists. It is not the same thing as a caregiver who helps with daily living.
| Home health (this page) | Non-medical home care | |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it | Nurses, physical, occupational and speech therapists, aides under a nurse's plan | Caregivers, also called personal care attendants |
| What it is for | Recovery after a hospital stay, wound care, therapy, managing a new diagnosis | Bathing, dressing, meals, company, supervision |
| How it is delivered | Scheduled visits, often a few a week | Shifts, from a few hours to around the clock |
| Who usually pays | Medicare, when you are homebound and need skilled care | The family, long-term care insurance, or a Medicaid waiver |
| Where to look | The table above | Ask an advisor for licensed agencies near you |
Does Medicare pay for home health care in Iowa?
Yes, when the conditions are met. Original Medicare pays for covered home health visits with no copay if a doctor certifies that you are homebound and need part-time skilled nursing or therapy, and the agency is Medicare-certified. It does not pay for 24-hour care, meal delivery, or help with bathing and dressing when that is the only care you need.
Medicare Advantage plans cover the same services but can require prior approval and an in-network agency, so check the plan before choosing from this list.
How should you read Medicare's two star ratings?
The quality of patient care rating summarizes clinical results: whether care started on time and whether patients improved at walking, bathing, breathing and managing medicines. The patient survey rating summarizes what patients said about communication, professionalism and whether they would recommend the agency.
The two can disagree. An agency can have strong clinical results and middling survey answers, or the reverse, which is why each agency page shows both in full.
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare provider data release dated 2026-09-21.
Common questions
How many Medicare-certified home health agencies are in Des Moines?
20 are based in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties. Medicare publishes a quality star rating for 13 of them.
Which Des Moines home health agencies have 5 stars from Medicare?
Aveanna Healthcare, Centerwell Home Health and Good Samaritan Society-Home Care hold 5 stars for quality of patient care in the current Medicare data.
Is home health care the same as in-home care?
No. Home health is skilled medical care in visits, usually paid by Medicare. In-home care is non-medical help with daily living, usually paid privately.
