How to Implement EVV in States with Exemption under Good Faith Efforts?

Many states of the United States have been offered an exemption to implement EVV (Electronic Visit Verification) under Good Faith Efforts Request. The home care agencies earlier need to implement EVV before January 1^st, 2020 but now they are provided and extension of 1 year.

The big question- is there any change in the overall procedure to implement EVV for the home care agencies serving in different states? Well, if you are a private duty home care agency delivering non-medical services, you need to implement the same before the deadline as per your state’s exemption request status.

Here’s what all you need to know about the implementation of EVV for your home care agency.

Who all can Implement EVV till January 1^st, 2021?

Agencies that are operating in states that have requested for Good Faith Efforts Requests and got the approval from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) can implement EVV before January 1^st, 2021 (new deadline).

On the other hand, the states that haven’t requested EVV exemption don’t fall under the category of the ones that have an extension for implementation till January 1^st, 2021. Apart from this, some states that requested the exemption but their approval is pending, should also consider implementing the same as soon as possible to avoid FMAP (Federal Medical Assistance Percentage) reductions, which begins once the deadline passes.

Now, if you are a home care agency and didn’t implement EVV yet, you initially need to check the status of your state’s EVV exemption request. You can check the same on the official website where you would find the names of the states requested for EVV extension under Good Faith Efforts Exemptions Requests.

Procedure to Implement EVV for Personal Care Service Providers

Home care agencies delivering personal care services need to follow the same procedure as earlier to get state and federal government compliance. As an agency, you need to check the status of your state’s EVV exemption.

If your state’s name is listed on the approved list, you can implement EVV till next year. If your state’s name is under the pending list, it is recommended that you should consider implementing Electronic Visit Verification as soon as possible to avoid any risk of FMAP reductions.

One should note that if they don’t find the name of their state listed in the exemption request list, it’s because their respected state hasn’t applied for exemption. In such a case, the agency shouldn’t wait much and get compliance by considering third-party EVV vendors.

Home care agencies should consider relying on third-party EVV vendors that can offer compliance as per the state and federal government regulations.

Effect on Medicaid if an agency doesn’t Implement EVV before the Deadline:

The federal government had already set regulations, which if isn’t fulfilled by an agency before the deadline, would result in FMAP reductions. The percentage of FMAP reductions increases with time if the agency doesn’t implement EVV.

It is essentially crucial for home care agencies to ensure they have enough time to get EVV compliance, else, should implement the same ASAP.

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