10 Aug UTAH EVV
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for Utah Medicaid
As an ongoing part of our commitment to keeping home health care professionals up to date with the latest regulatory information at the national and state level, in this edition of our homecare blog, we turn the spotlight on electronic visit verification in the state of UTAH. A good starting point is to look at the beginnings of how EVV requirements came to be, which brings us to the 21st Century Cures Act.
EVV ORIGINS
The 21st Century Cures Act, which became law in December of 2016, requires Medicaid programs to implement an Electronic Visit Verification system for Personal Care and Home Health services. Per section 12006, all states must implement an approved system for electronic visit verification to avoid a possible reduction in federal Medicaid funding.
EVV is defined as a system which features multiple point-of-care verification technology, such as telephonic, mobile, and web-based verification data input. An approved electronic visit verification system will electronically verify the occurrence of home- or community-based service visits, denoting the exact time, date, and location that service begins and ends to ensure the accuracy of associated claims disbursement.
The benefits of EVV
While different states may have slightly different rules and models for their EVV implementation, a sound electronic visit verification system will not only fulfill the requirements of the 21st Century Cures act. It will bring a higher level of productivity and accountability to agency visit workflow, utilizing technology to result in more accurate records, timely reimbursement, and reduction in fraudulent activity.
EVV offers agencies
- A higher chance of patients receiving on time care, resulting in higher quality outcomes
- Reduction of billing errors and improvements in the accuracy of payments
- Improvements in the health and general welfare of individuals receiving care by validating all data points involved in visits electronically
- Reduction in the potential for fraud
(CLICK HERE TO REVIEW ALORA’S EVV SYSTEM FOR UTAH)
Utah Medicaid EVV Information
WHEN DOES EVV START IN UTAH?
Personal care services: January 1, 2021 Home health services: January 1, 2023
*While initially a July 1, 2019 compliance date was established, penalties for not having the ability to accurately transmit EVV data will not go into effect until January 1, 2021 for PCS and January 1, 2023 for HHS.
The mandated transmission of electronic visit verification (EVV) visit data in the state of Utah will not go into effect until January 1, 2021 for Personal Care services, and January 1, 2023 for Home Health service providers. Agencies and providers will be required to select a suitable Utah EVV service vendor and have records available for review upon request. All systems must be compliant with the 21st Century Cures Act requirements.
What EVV Providers Can I Use?
Utah agency providers may choose whatever EVV system best facilitates their organizational needs, and will not be required to select a specific software system or EVV vendor, so long as the visit verification system implemented meets federal requirements which include the accurate data transmission of:
- the type of service performed
- the individual receiving the service
- the time and date of the service
- location where the service was performed
- the identity of the individual caregiver providing the service
- the start and end time of the service
- the date of creation of the electronic record
Learn more about Utah Compatible EVV
Do all Utah providers have to use EVV?
All Utah providers who perform/provide personal or home health services must utilize a compliant EVV system in accordance with the deadlines listed above, or risk payment denials. The 21st Century Cures Act requires that agencies verify delivery
of all Personal Care Services and Home Health Services through an EVV system. Providers must select their own EVV service vendor and have records available for review upon request. All systems must be compliant with the Cures Act requirements as listed previously in this blog.
Is there a State sponsored or Preferred EVV system my agency has to use?
No. The Utah Department of Health Medicaid has opted for a provider choice model. The system the provider chooses is up to the individual provider, with the sole requirement being that the system must meet federal guidelines.
How will providers report the data?
The Utah Department of Health Medicaid will conduct annual post-payment reviews of claims requiring EVV for all Personal Care Services and Home Health Services providers to review and assess compliance with requirements. For each individual provider, the Department will randomly select a calendar month within the previous one year period. All claims for which the provider received reimbursement and had service dates in addition to encounters paid through Managed Care within the month selected will be included in these random audits. The Department will provide a technical specification document as an attachment to the Section I Provider Manual. The document outlines the format that providers should use to report EVV data.
Is GPS required as a part of EVV?
While the 21st Century Cures Act requires that location of services delivery is a mandated part of electronic visit verification, the Utah Department of Health Medicaid interprets this mandate as not requiring outright the usage of GPS, as location may be verified through the attendant’s phone by check-in via telephone call, phone application, or web portal.
Home Health Software with Built-in EVV for Utah
Keep it simple with ALORA
Alora was one of the first alternate EVV vendors to be certified in a variety of states. Alora’s system if not only a complete software for home health care in the state of Utah, but also features an integrated EVV that is fully compatible with the requirements set forth by the Utah department of Health Medicaid in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act.
Alora’s built in solution automatically captures all elements outlined for compliant data transmission during visits, offering agencies ease of use and flexibility through an integrated system that performs far above minimum requirements. Alora’s Home Health Software for Utah with integrated EVV offers agencies:
- A fully mobile solution designed for both administrative and caregiver efficiency
- Integrated electronic visit verification
- The ability to do away with the inefficiencies of manual EVV data entry into home health software
- Workflow centralized into easily managed processes
- An award winning interface top ranked by Software Advice for user friendliness and support
- Features engineered for agency success, including billing and payroll and complete agency management tools
- Improved workflow for maximum productivity and patient care
- Access to your software across devices including mobile, laptop, tablet etc…use Alora your way
- The ability to manage your entire agency from the convenience of your pocket
Click here to Schedule a Quick Demo of Alora
Utah Medicaid EVV Resource Links:
Click here to visit the Utah Medicaid official website
Frequently asked questions on Utah EVV
Utah EVV web portal and user guide
For more information on Utah Medicaid EVV requirements or software for home health agency in Utah, email us at Info@Alorahealth.com
The Alora Home Health Blog
Read the Alora blog and website to learn more about Home Health Software for Utah, including recent news, articles, and commentaries, as well as other issues that pertain to Homecare in the state of Colorado, the U.S 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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