What is the Extended EVV Deadline for Home Care?

Did you know that the date to implement Electronic Visit Verification for home care is extended for some states? Most states can now implement EVV through January 1st, 2021, as per the exemption from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).

The states that been given an exemption were among those who worked hard to implement EVV before the proposed deadline of January 1st, 2020, but due to some unavoidable reasons, they were not able to do so.

Here is the information about the Good Faith Effort Exemption that every home care agency needs to know.

The reason for the extension for EVV implementation

While most states tried hard to make their state comply with federal regulations before the deadline, some couldn’t make it happen. The 21st Century CURES Act has a provision that offers an exemption to states that request one if they prove they put a lot of effort into trying to implement EVV before the deadline.

These states have been offered a one-year exemption, which simply means that they have one more year from the original deadline to fully comply with federal regulations. The new deadline is for states with the exemption is January 1st, 2021.

What about the states that didn’t request an exemption?

While most states have already received an exemption, some states have their request still pending. In addition, there are some states that didn’t request an exemption, which clearly depicts that those states either have implemented CVV before the previous deadline or soon would.

What if the states fail to implement EVV before the new deadline?

Whether the deadline to implement EVV is extended for some states or not, it doesn’t mean they won’t be soon. Every home care agency serving in the United States needs to implement EVV. They need to do this through a third-party EVV vendor of their choosing.

If any state fails to do so finish implementation (considering both the deadlines for those with exemption and those without), their FMAP (Federal Medical Assistance Percentage) would be reduced in 2021 and 2020 respectively.

How home care agencies implement EVV

The procedure to implement EVV in every state remains the same. The agency delivering home care services/personal care services needs to rely on a vendor that offers a mobile solution that can track clock-in and clock-out times of each caregiver on every visit.

The data stored digitally must be easily transferred to claim Medicaid. The data collection must be in the right format. Each agency can look at their state’s regulations for more detail related to actual EVV compliance.

In addition, the mobile EVV solution must be HIPPA-compliant and should be able to store crucial information related to caregivers and clients. There are numerous options available on the market that offer seamless compliance with state EVV rules and regulations. A home care agency offering non-medical care services should choose a provider that offers these features. Agencies shouldn’t wait to become compliant from the state to avoid any chance of Medicaid rejections in the future.