Using Mobile Cellular Technology to Simplify Your EVV Home Healthcare Compliance

But with its enaction, some home healthcare providers are struggling to implement mandated Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) standards, with new deadlines fast approaching or already passed. Identifying the right secure mobile solution partner is vital to healthcare providers seeking to comply and meet the evolving needs of the modern patient.

EVV is a mandated system of technology that helps validate a home health visit by verifying:

• Type of service performed
• Individual receiving the service
• Date of the service
• Location of service delivery
• Individual providing the service
• Time the service begins and ends

Section 12006 of the Cures Act required states to implement an EVV system for Personal Care Services (PCS) by January 1, 2021 and for Home Health Care Services (HHCS) by January 1, 2023.² Many companies already have a solution in place, but some — especially smaller companies — do not.

Businesses that provide PCS or HHCS and also receive Federal Medicaid Assistance may be impacted by reductions in assistance received if EVV implementations are not in place by the required deadlines. These businesses typically provide at-home service for patients who can’t attend in-person.

Many home healthcare organizations have not yet implemented EVV standards / technologies and may struggle with:

• Aides / Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) who fail to turn in time / task sheets on time, causing payroll / billing delays.
• Damaged or lost task sheets.
• Higher medical risk for office workers with traffic in and out of the office to drop off time sheets.
• Aides / CNAs who don’t know how to use the technology installed for them on their personal device.
• Lack of work-provided devices to enable EVV for their staff (i.e., adding tablets / devices to an existing EVV solution)

When considering cellular solutions to become EVV-compliant, you must first know your state-mandated model. States are required to implement EVV requirements for businesses in their jurisdiction and can adopt a series of EVV models, each of which can have a different impact on the cellular solution you select. View a full list of state models.³

• Provider Choice — Providers select their EVV vendor of choice and self‐fund its implementation.
• Managed Care Organization (MCO) Choice — MCOs select their EVV vendor of choice and self‐fund its implementation.
• State-mandated External Vendor — States contract with a single EVV vendor that all providers must use.
• State-mandated In‐house System — States create, run and manage their own EVV system.
• Open Vendor — States contract with a single EVV vendor or build their own system but allow providers and MCOs to use other vendors.

When implementing an EVV strategy, healthcare providers may choose whether to allow employees to use their own devices (aka BYOD) or to supply company-owned devices while at work visiting patients.

It’s easy to allow home aides, CNAs and other home healthcare employees to use their own phones, but the lack of security and accountability can lead to possible audits and important calls going unanswered.

You may also partner with a cellular mobility company that understands your need to be compliant with these mandates and will assist you with providing secure, company-owned equipment.

When researching possible connectivity partners and device plans, consider these important elements:

• Reliability of a company device, knowing software is up to date, that it’s working, and the bill is paid.
• Tracking capabilities that come with a company device.
• EVV compliance that withstands audits and ensures accountability by using company devices already in line with EVV standards.
• Modern devices, including easy-to-use tablets and mobile phones for those not tech-savvy, that provide enough storage to share communications, plus connectivity to provide a complete solution.
• Local, personalized expertise of a cellular connectivity partner who understands EVV mandates.

When a company device is issued, this can help remove barriers and frustration.

UScellular™ offers an array of secure mobile solutions powered by a nationwide, fast and reliable network to support EVV-mandated home healthcare solutions. Our technologies and products not only help support the data security you need to follow EVV regulations, but also help improve patient care. To learn more, call 866-616-5587 or visit Telehealth.