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EVV Tag

Choosing EVV Software

 

How do I choose EVV software?As the 21st Century Cures act moves to the forefront of home health agency staffs, many agencies find themselves trying to prepare for the inevitable. According to their official website www.medicaid.gov, all U.S states are required by law to implement an approved electronic visit verification system for all Medicaid-funded personal care services by January 1, 2020, and home health care services by January 1, 2023. Any non-compliant states will face financial penalties unless they have an authentic delay reason or burden which prevented their compliance.   To meet state requirements, when selecting a software vendor for EVV compliance, agencies performing personal care and home health services need to be sure to do their homework.

As EVV Mandates Approached - Lawmakers Wanted More Time

EVV extensionIn the last few years, several states in the U.S have implemented mandated EVV not only to reduce fraud, but to keep tighter controls on how homecare visits are conducted and funded. The 21st Century Cures Act, which is an over 6 billion dollar conglomerate of legislation enacted as law under the Obama administration, basically states that Medicaid-reimbursed home care providers nationally must begin implementing approved EVV systems prior to Jan. 1, 2019. U.S. lawmakers then introduced legislation to delay this implementation of electronic visit verification (EVV) in home care by at least one additional year.

EVV UPDATES

 

As 2020 approaches and we draw closer to full implementation of the 21st Century cures act, Alora continues to monitor on a state by state basis how the EVV adoption process is unfolding. While many states are already up and running with their electronic visit verification system, others have petitioned for postponements or long-term delays. Here are the latest EVV updates in several states:

New EVV Survey Raises Concerns Among Homecare Providers & Industry Officials

As the movement towards mandatory EVV on the federal level continues to march forward, officials at CMS have been steadily preparing for the possible rollout of a national electronic visit verification (EVV) survey. This survey would be a non-optional requirement for agencies providing many types of care, and is intended to strengthen agency accountability, patient care, and reduce the rampant fraud that recent reports have suggested is still on the rise in numerous states.

Alora & Sandata Announce Partnership to Offer Homecare Agencies Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)

 

EVV Mandates on the Rise Nationwide

 

EVV systemsSandata Technologies, one of the nation's leading providers of home care solutions designed to simplify the process of managing services for government agencies, Managed Care Organizations, and other home care providers, issued a national press release showcasing the recent team up with Alora to address the need for effective electronic visit verification solutions. While Alora Home Health Software has specialized in simple to use solutions for the home care industry since 2005, their development over the last few years of powerful tools for homecare agencies to verifiy visits including integrated EVV,

Telephony, & AideConnect, places the company at the forefront of providers who focus on compliance paired with homecare technology.

As stated in the press release, their integration with Alora allows agencies using the Alora Home Health Software to maximize the benefits of Sandata's state-sponsored EVV solution, while ensuring compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act EVV mandate. 

Read the full press release below.

SPOTLIGHT ON OHIO & THE ODM EVV MANDATE

 

Electronic Visit Verification, also known as EVV, is quickly becoming a federally-mandated requirement which all state Medicaid programs must implement in order to verify that home health, homecare and/or personal care services are delivered to their intended patients. Electronic visit verification is mandated under the 21st Century Cures Act, which was effectively signed into law in 2016 with the intent of decreasing the rampant levels of reported fraud within Medicaid claims filings.

The new EVV mandates require that each state must have a state-wide and properly approved Electronic Visit Verification system fully operational by an implementation deadline of January 1st 2019 for all Medicaid-funded home health agencies providing services, and by the first of January, 2021, for all Medicaid-funded personal care services.

CMS Offers Delay of EVV Implementation for up to One Year

 

Following a lengthy period of uncertainty amidst numerous requests for clarifications and official rules, CMS (The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) has finally issued regulatory guidance on a provision which will allow states to postpone implementation of mandated EVV (Electronic Visit Verification) for a period of up to one year.