What should a prospective BrightStar Care franchisee investigate in their state?
Brightstar_Care Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must obtain and maintain any health care or employment-related permits, licenses, certifications, or other indications of authority necessary to operate your Agency, including, for example, a home health agency license, nurse staffing and/or employment agency license, and Joint Commission Accreditation. A Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment waiver ("CLIA" waiver) may need to be obtained and maintained if you are performing services requiring a CLIA waiver. Some jurisdictions may also require a Certificate of Need. Some states require you to obtain a license to provide employment services. We may require you to obtain a particular permit, license, or accreditation. Some states have imposed a moratorium on the issuance of home health agency licenses, nurse staffing licenses, and other in-home healthcare licenses or permits. You are responsible for investigating the availability of and requirements for obtaining all necessary licenses in your state and creating, as necessary, state-specific versions of required policies and procedures that meet or exceed BrightStar brand standards and Joint Commission requirements. You should investigate the availability of all required licenses before acquiring our franchise, as you cannot operate as a franchisee without them. If you are not able to obtain a newlyissued home health agency or other required license in your state, you might be able to acquire a previously-issued license from an existing provider in the state that no longer needs its license and is interested in selling its license to a third party. We cannot predict the costs of doing so.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 9–14)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to BrightStar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a prospective franchisee should investigate the availability of all required licenses in their state before acquiring a franchise. BrightStar Care franchisees must obtain and maintain any healthcare or employment-related permits, licenses, certifications, or other indications of authority necessary to operate their agency. These include a home health agency license, nurse staffing and/or employment agency license, and Joint Commission Accreditation.
Additionally, a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment waiver (CLIA) may be needed if the franchisee performs services requiring such a waiver. Some jurisdictions may also require a Certificate of Need. Certain states mandate a license to provide employment services. BrightStar Care may also require a particular permit, license, or accreditation.
It is important to note that some states have imposed a moratorium on issuing home health agency licenses, nurse staffing licenses, and other in-home healthcare licenses or permits. The franchisee is responsible for investigating the requirements for obtaining all necessary licenses in their state and creating state-specific versions of required policies and procedures that meet or exceed BrightStar brand standards and Joint Commission requirements. If a newly issued home health agency or other required license cannot be obtained, acquiring a previously issued license from an existing provider in the state that no longer needs it might be an option, although BrightStar Care cannot predict the costs of doing so.