Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Explained

EVV allows the ability to focus more time and attention on the care recipient and less on administrative tasks such as faxing, emailing and tracking timesheets.

As you may have heard, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with Minnesota, along with the rest of the nation to implement Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). The 21st Century Cures Act, signed in December 2016, will require Direct Care Workers and Personal Care Attendants (PCA) to verify and submit time worked electronically. The programs covered under the mandate include Personal Care Assistance (PCA), Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS), Consumer Support Grant (CSG), and 245D licensed services such as Individualized Home Supports (formerly Personal Support), Respite, Night Supervision and Homemaker. The purpose of this legislation is to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse of Medicaid dollars and is required for the State to maintain full federal funding.

Providing care is at the heart of what you do; MRCI-CDS is here to assist with the rest.

You may be wondering, what does this mean for me and my workers? Each time care is provided, the direct care worker must clock-in to an electronic system. Each agency, such as MRCI-CDS, must select an EVV software that works for them and includes the six elements in accordance with the legislation that must be collected. These elements include, who received the service, the type of service performed, the date of service, the location of service delivery, who provided the service and when the service began and ended.

Each direct care worker will be connected with the clients for whom care is provided and to the services available for them to perform. At the start of a shift, the direct care worker will select the client and the service, and then select “start visit” through the app. At this point, a geotag of the location is captured and verified against the locations available to each recipient. The visit continues as usual. Once the visit is complete, the direct care worker will log back into the app, will select “end visit” and will be asked to document any required information. The geotag will be captured at the end as well but no tracking will take place throughout the duration of the visit.

At this point, the direct care worker is able to verify, sign and submit the time worked to the responsible party or representative to approve. The time is then sent directly to MRCI-CDS to be processed. The date and time of each punch is recorded and once submitted to the MRCI-CDS, is used as the time and attendance record. Within the app, care delivery information, timesheet history and available hours will be visible to easily stay on track and manage the services. This allows the direct care worker and the responsible party or representative the ability to focus more time and attention on the care recipient and less on administrative tasks such as faxing, emailing and tracking timesheets.

MRCI-CDS is committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for you. You may be thinking, I am not tech-savvy, what then? The MRCI-CDS staff have been trained in the new system and will work with you personally to get set up and going, building your confidence and skills along the way. Providing care is at the heart of what you do; MRCI-CDS is here to assist with the rest.