Section 12006(a) of the 21st Century Cures Act mandates that states implement EVV for all Medicaid personal care services (PCS) and home health services (HHCS) that require an in-home visit by a provider. As originally written, States must require EVV use for all Medicaid-funded PCS by January 1, 2019 and HHCS by January 1, 2023. However, On June 18th, 2018 a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. House of Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI), Diana Degette (D-CO), Don Young (R-AK), and Steve Stivers (R-OH) passed to extend the deadline to implement EVV for personal care services till Jan 1, 2020.
“EVV has the potential to improve the health and well-being of patients if it ensures that high-quality services are delivered when and where they are needed, while also reducing the potential for waste and fraud,” DeGette said. “But the timeline established in guidance by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is overly ambitious; our proposed extension will give CMS the chance to follow a proper rulemaking process, including engaging with stakeholders in order to ensure that the policy is implemented correctly. It will also allow each state greater opportunity to ensure that its EVV programs are best suited to the unique needs of its citizens by ensuring that patient and provider concerns about implementation and use are addressed.”
While we await companion legislation to be approved in the Senate, it's a good idea to implement your Home Care EVV solution now. Timesheet Mobile's HIPPA compliant solution meets all EVV requirements and is used by Home Care Agencies across the U.S. With Timesheet Mobile's smartphone app or IVR telephony you will capture:
- Type of service performed
- Individual receiving the service
- Date of service
- Location of service delivery
- Caregiver providing the service
- Timestamps when the service began and ended
Besides meeting the upcoming Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) requirements, you will immediately save time and money using Timesheet Mobile's Total Solution with integrated scheduling, geofence time tracking, careplan checklists, team messaging, instant alerts, extensive reporting.
