Comparison · No. 05Updated September 202610-minute read

HHAeXchange vs AlayaCare: Medicaid EVV depth or multi-service breadth?

HHAeXchange and AlayaCare aren’t classic head-to-head competitors. They overlap on home care features, but they diverge sharply where it matters most: HHAeXchange owns Medicaid EVV (in several states it’s the state-designated aggregator), while AlayaCare owns the multi-service cloud platform that unifies home care, home health, and community care. For multi-service Medicaid agencies, the right answer is often to run both.

By the HeyHomeCare team. HeyHomeCare isn’t connected to HHAeXchange today. Its AlayaCare connection is built and is switched on once AlayaCare’s partner agreement is in place.

Quick verdict
For Medicaid-heavy agencies, HHAeXchange. For multi-service tech-forward agencies, AlayaCare. For multi-service Medicaid agencies, often both — HHAeXchange for the Medicaid book, AlayaCare as the operational backbone.
01 / At a glance

Side-by-side, by the numbers.

HHAeXchange vs AlayaCare — feature & pricing comparison, May 2026
HHAeXchangeAlayaCare
Founded20082014
HQNew York, NYMontreal, QC
FocusMedicaid home care, HHA workflow, EVV complianceHome care + home health + community care; cloud-native
Best forMedicaid-heavy agencies, multi-state Medicaid, EVV-drivenTech-forward mid-market to enterprise, multi-service agencies
Install base~700,000 caregivers across 6,000+ agencies~800+ agencies
Pricing modelPer-billable-hour + monthly feePer module + per user
Mid-market spendVaries widely by state Medicaid contract~$1,000–3,000/mo
EVV compliantYesYes
Caregiver appiOS + AndroidiOS + Android
AnalyticsMedicaid + EVV-focusedAdvanced (Visit Optimizer AI)
Integration ecosystemState Medicaid + payer integrationsAPI + iCarol (acquired call center)
Implementation8–16 weeks6–16 weeks
HeyHomeCare integrationNot connected · forwarding worksBuilt · on once the partner agreement is signed
02 / Buyer fit

Who each platform is actually built for.

Who is HHAeXchange for?

Founded 2008·Hearst-owned since 2023·Medicaid + EVV

HHAeXchange fits Medicaid home care agencies, especially in states where HHAeXchange functions as the EVV aggregator. It’s also the most common choice for multi-state Medicaid operations where the state aggregator relationships matter as much as the platform itself.

Strengths
  • State Medicaid integration (NY, NJ, FL, IL, others)
  • EVV leader (21st Century Cures Act)
  • Payer-provider connectivity
Where it falls short
  • UI feels dated
  • Configuration complex
  • Less suited for non-Medicaid private-pay

Who is AlayaCare for?

Founded 2014·Montreal, QC·Cloud-native multi-service

AlayaCare fits tech-forward mid-market and lower-enterprise agencies running multiple service lines — home care, home health, community care — and wanting a single modern cloud platform. The Visit Optimizer scheduling AI is a meaningful differentiator at scale.

Strengths
  • Cloud-native architecture, modern UI
  • Visit Optimizer for AI-driven scheduling and routing
  • Unified home care + home health + community in one platform
  • Strong analytics and reporting
Where it falls short
  • Longer implementation than mid-market alternatives
  • Integrations to legacy systems often require custom work
03 / Medicaid EVV

Medicaid EVV: a clear HHAeXchange win.

In several states, HHAeXchange is the state-designated EVV aggregator — not one option among many, but the platform providers submit to. AlayaCare is 21st Century Cures Act–compliant and submits to state aggregators where required, but isn’t the aggregator itself in any state.

For agencies in HHAeXchange-aggregator states (New York, New Jersey, Illinois, others), this isn’t really a feature comparison — it’s structural to how Medicaid billing happens. You’ll touch HHAeXchange one way or another, even if your primary platform is AlayaCare.

Outside aggregator states, HHAeXchange is still EVV-strong but loses its inevitability. AlayaCare’s EVV is fine for most non-aggregator state requirements.

04 / Multi-service

Multi-service workflows: AlayaCare’s strength.

AlayaCare unifies home care, home health, and community care in a way HHAeXchange doesn’t. One platform, one UI, shared client records across services, unified scheduling and reporting.

HHAeXchange is primarily focused on personal care services and HHA (home health aide) workflows. It does some home health, but it doesn’t pretend to be a full home-health-plus-hospice-plus-community platform.

For agencies running multiple service lines under one operational team, AlayaCare is the clearer pick. For Medicaid personal care plus narrow HHA workflows, HHAeXchange’s focus is an advantage rather than a limitation.

05 / AI & optimization

AI and visit optimization.

AlayaCare’s Visit Optimizer uses route and skill-match algorithms to optimize visit schedules — reducing drive time and improving fill rates. It’s one of the few in-platform AI features in home care that actually ships value in 2026.

HHAeXchange’s product investment has gone primarily into payer-provider connectivity and Medicaid billing intelligence rather than in-agency scheduling AI. Both vendors will say they have AI; their AI is built for different problems.

06 / Pricing

How they price.

HHAeXchange uses a per-billable-hour pricing model plus a monthly base fee. Cost tracks Medicaid revenue. Exact rates vary by state contract and visit volume.

AlayaCare uses a per-module plus per-user pricing model with an enterprise sales motion. A typical mid-market multi-service agency lands at $1,000–3,000/month.

These vendors price differently because they serve different problems. HHAeXchange scales with Medicaid revenue. AlayaCare scales with operational complexity.
07 / Implementation

Implementation and learning curve.

HHAeXchange enterprise implementations typically run 8–16 weeks; AlayaCare implementations run 6–16 weeks. Multi-state or multi-service deployments stretch both. The bigger variable is integration scope, not vendor.

Switching between these platforms is rare. Payer mix and service mix usually don’t change overnight, and the cost of moving Medicaid operations off HHAeXchange in aggregator states is unique. The more common move is adding the other platform — running both for what each does best.

08 / Running both

When it makes sense to run both.

Some multi-service Medicaid agencies run both: HHAeXchange for the Medicaid book (especially in aggregator states where it’s structural), AlayaCare as the broader operational backbone for home health, community care, and private-pay.

The trade-off is admin overhead — two systems means double the configuration, user provisioning, and integration work. But for agencies where neither platform alone can do both jobs well, the dual-stack pattern is established practice.

09 / Where HeyHomeCare fits

What HeyHomeCare does beside either.

HeyHomeCare is the after-hours operations line for home care agencies. Its AI answers your line and texts after hours; your business rules decide each step, and your on-call manager is always behind it. Emergencies always go straight to a person, and every call and text is on the record for the office in the morning.

HeyHomeCare isn’t connected to HHAeXchange today. The after-hours line works by forwarding: it takes the caregiver’s call or text, follows your business rules and gives your on-call manager the facts to act in HHAeXchange. HeyHomeCare never clocks a caregiver in or out, doesn’t submit visits to a state EVV aggregator and doesn’t do Medicaid claims; those stay in HHAeXchange.

HeyHomeCare’s AlayaCare connection is built against AlayaCare’s published API and is switched on once AlayaCare’s partner agreement is in place. Until then, it works the same way, by forwarding. Ask us before planning around either connection.

10 / Verdict

Our final recommendation.

For Medicaid-heavy agencies, especially in HHAeXchange-aggregator states, HHAeXchange is the default. The state aggregator role makes the decision structural rather than evaluative.

For multi-service tech-forward agencies, AlayaCare is the default. Cloud-native architecture, unified multi-service platform, Visit Optimizer for AI scheduling.

For multi-service Medicaid agencies, run both. HHAeXchange for the Medicaid book and state aggregator submissions; AlayaCare for the broader operational stack.

If your state’s Medicaid program mandates HHAeXchange as the EVV aggregator (e.g., New York, New Jersey), the decision is largely made for you on the Medicaid side. The remaining question is what runs the rest of your operation.
11 / Two ways to buy

Whichever you pick: keep it and add the after-hours line, or, for private-pay home care, run your agency on HeyHomeCare.

Start online

Run your agency on HeyHomeCare

Start your native home care CRM online from $500/month for up to 50 active caregivers. Scheduling, client records, forms, billing and agent capabilities with 3,000 AI call minutes per month are included. SMS is quoted separately. Turn on AI under your own business rules; the CRM also works with AI off.

Start your CRM
Talk to sales

Keep your system, add the after-hours line

Talk to sales about after-hours-only service or connecting your scheduling system. Ask your current CRM account manager about API access. Supported actions depend on vendor approval, your agency access and a validated connection.

Talk to sales

Moving from AxisCare: the importer checks your data, runs both systems side by side so you see every difference, and switches on the day you choose. Leaving: export all of your data as CSV files at any time.

Self-serve CRM starts at $500/month for up to 50 active caregivers, with agent capabilities and 3,000 AI call minutes per month. SMS is quoted separately. Larger agencies, additional call usage, after-hours-only service and integrations: talk to sales.

12 / Questions

Frequently asked questions.

Q.01
Is HHAeXchange or AlayaCare better for Medicaid agencies?
HHAeXchange, for any agency where Medicaid is the majority book — especially in states (New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, others) where HHAeXchange is the state-designated EVV aggregator. AlayaCare is EVV-compliant but doesn’t have HHAeXchange’s structural role in state Medicaid programs.
Where HeyHomeCare fits

Whichever you pick — or both — HeyHomeCare can answer after hours beside it.

HHAeXchange: not connected today; the after-hours line works by forwarding, and your on-call manager gets the facts to act in HHAeXchange. AlayaCare: built, and switched on once AlayaCare’s partner agreement is in place. HeyHomeCare doesn’t submit to state EVV aggregators or do Medicaid claims.