01 Jul Georgia EVV Implementation Delayed
To view the Georgia Medicaid EVV System solution by Alora, click here
Georgia Electronic Visit Verification Start Date Postponed
Following the passing of the 21st Century Cures Act, EVV was mandated for the state of Georgia. The initial official Go-live date for Georgia Medicaid EVV was July 1, 2021, however as of June 2021 the date has been postponed.
When is its official start date? What types of services are covered under the requirements? What model of state EVV does Georgia fall under? What kind of data must be transmitted for each visit? Is the state providing a free EVV system? Can I use my current EVV software and still be compliant? In this blog you will find information and answers to each of those questions and more…
What is the new start date for Georgia EVV?
As of July 1, 2021, GA Medicaid EVV has delayed the EVV mandate to Oct 1, 2021.
What is the State EVV system for Georgia?
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) has selected 4Tellus, LLC (Tellus) to launch electronic visit verification (EVV) in Georgia. Tellus is a well-known national electronic visit verification company that has successfully launched EVV with many states. The Georgia DCH implemented the Tellus system in 2020.
The Good Faith Exemption Request
States encountering hardships in EVV implementation due to COVID, administrative burdens and/or other issues, were allowed to file Good Faith Exemption requests.
More about the Good Faith Effort Exemption (GFE) Request – The Cures Act includes a provision that allows states to delay implementation of EVV for up to one year if they can demonstrate they have made a good faith effort to comply with EVV requirements and have encountered unavoidable delays. DCH submitted a GFE Request Form on behalf of the State of Georgia and CMS has granted approval! The GFE approval extended the final deadline for implementing EVV for Personal Care Services to January 1, 2021, and Home Health Services by January 1, 2023. While Georgia missed this January 1, 2021 implementation deadline and subsequently the implementation date has now been pushed to October 1, 2021, DCH is committed to working with Members, Providers, and vendors to meet training needs and move towards full implementation in a timely fashion.
Georgia EVV Info
What is EVV?
EVV, or Electronic Visit Verification, is a web-based system that verifies when provider visits occur and electronically document the precise time services begin and end. EVV ensures that people receive the exact care services they have been approved to receive. This technology is now required by law for all Medicaid personal care services in the state of Missouri. Electronic visit verification allows providers to confirm that services were actually delivered using a variety of electronic methods. EVV compliance can be achieved in a number of ways, including the use of mobile applications with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), telephony from land-line phone systems, approved fixed devices, or even biometric recognition solutions (including smartphone applications, or in-home EVV devices).
About the 21st Century Cures Act
In December 2016, Congress enacted the 21st Century Cures Act. Section 12006 of the Act requires States to implement Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for Medicaid-covered Personal Care Services (PCS) and Home Health Care Services (HHCS) by January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2023.
The Cures Act included a provision that opened the possibility for states to delay implementation of EVV for up to one year if they were able to demonstrate the state had made a good faith effort to comply with Electronic Visit Verification requirements but had encountered unavoidable delays. Georgia DCH having encountered such difficulties, submitted a Good Faith Exemption Request Form on behalf of the State of Georgia earlier in the year, and CMS granted approval. The GFE approval extended the final deadline for implementing Georgia Medicaid EVV for Personal Care Services to January 1, 2021, and Home Health Services by January 1, 2023. In June of 2021, the deadline was moved to October 1, 2021.
What are Georgia’s EVV Requirements?
EVV is defined as a technology that automates the gathering and transmission of data associated with visits by capturing time, attendance, and care plan information entered by a home health care worker (nurse, aide, caregiver, etc) at the time and location of care. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) gives providers, case managers, and DCH access to service delivery information in real-time to ensure there are no gaps in care throughout the duration of the service plan.
What is included in the Georgia Medicaid EVV Requirements?
- Personal Care Services
- Home Health Care Services
What data is required in Georgia Medicaid EVV transmission?
With respect to personal care services or home health care services, and in accordance with the parameters set forth by the 21st Century Cures Act, a compliant Georgia Medicaid EVV system must verify electronically
- The type of services performed
- The identity of the individual receiving the service
- The identity of the individual providing the service
- The specific date the services were provided
- The physical address (location) where the services were provided
- The time the services began and ended
Is Georgia providing a state-approved EVV system?
Tellus is the DCH EVV service provider for the state of Georgia, however, providers are free to use an EVV service provider of their choosing so long as it meets the collection requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act, and meets integration requirements for data transmission with Tellus.
Can I use an alternate Georgia EVV system outside of the state-provided system?
YES
Georgia Compatible EVV System
ALORA Home Health Software offers a complete agency solution with built-in Georgia Medicaid compatible EVV. Go above and beyond with greater operational efficiency, more features and capabilities, seamless compatibility, and peace of mind with a proven EVV software vendor
To review Alora’s EVV System for Georgia, click here.
ALORA’s Georgia Home Health Software System with Built-in EVV Features
- Live-Monitor visit activities and avoid the possibility of lost revenue due to no-shows
- Enjoy faster billing – completed visits are automatically readied for billing and payroll through Alora’s EVV automation
- Ensures patients are administered the planned medically necessary services
- Go paperless with Alora’s Plan of Care based visit notes
- Eliminate the inefficiency associated with manual data entry
- Centralize workflow into one complete solution for Home Health Care & EVV
- Improve the efficiency of home health aides & caregivers during and post-visit
- Reduce the chances of errors in documentation
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOME HEALTH SOFTWARE WITH BUILT-IN GEORGIA MEDICAID COMPATIBLE EVV
THE ALORA HOME HEALTH BLOG
Read the Alora blog and website to learn more about home health software for Georgia or Georgia Medicaid compatible EVV, and recent news, articles, and commentaries, as well as other issues that pertain to Missouri Home healthcare in the state and beyond. For more information on our blog, or for questions or feedback, please send us an email to HomeHealthSoftware@AloraHealth.com
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