
1099 vs. W-2 for Caregivers: The Misclassification Crackdown Hitting Agencies in 2026
Summary Caregiver misclassification 1099 home care agencies face in 2026 exists in a compliance environment where federal standards are moving toward contractor-friendlier frameworks and state enforcement is simultaneously accelerating in the other direction — which means the agencies that read the DOL’s regulatory posture as a risk reduction are misreading







