As the number of people needing home care services keeps increasing, it becomes more important than ever to manage data correctly and handle care well.
EVV system for home care have become important tools for improving home care. But what is EVV software, and how does it help both the people who provide, and receive care?
In this article, we’ll learn about EVV system for home care. We’ll look at their purpose, features, and how they improve the quality of care.
Home care businesses looking for trusted care options should understand how EVV systems work. Let’s dive in to learn more about EVV and how it could make care better for everyone involved.
Key points :
- What Is Electronic Visit Verification?
- How Does an EVV System for Home Care Work?
- When it comes to EVV, what are the Requirements?
- How can the Best EVV System for Home Care Benefit Homecare Agencies?
- 4 Reasons EVV Implementation is Important
- What are the Mistakes to Avoid While Implementing an EVV System for Home Care?
- What to do after Implementing EVV?
- Minnesota State EVV requirements
What Is Electronic Visit Verification?

Electronic Visit Verification is a tool federally mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act to verify home care visits by personal care services (PCS) and home healthcare services (HCCS) that are Medicaid-funded.
It is an effective tool that verifies home care visits, employee work time, and location for each visit. Submission of pertinent data is required to ensure accuracy and validity of each visit.
The collected information includes the following:
- Type of Service Performed
- Individual Receiving Service
- Individual (Caregiver) Providing Service
- Date of Service
- Location of Service Delivery using GPS or Caller-ID
- When the Service Begins as end
How Does an EVV System for Home Care Work?
GPS technology, telecommunication systems, and mobile applications are typically used by an EVV system for home care to facilitate the verification process.
Caregivers are provided with a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, on which they install an EVV-specific application. This app provides patients and caregivers with a digital record of their visits. It allows them to log in and out of patient visits.
When a caregiver arrives at a patient’s residence, they log in and initiate the visit using the Electronic Visit Verification app. This action causes the system to store the check-in date, time, and location in a secure database.
The EVV app may require periodic check-ins throughout the visit to assure continuous attendance. This feature prevents caregivers from departing the patient’s location prematurely or for a shorter amount of time than claimed.
When it comes to EVV, what are the Requirements?
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) systems can have different needs based on the rules and laws set by the government. Here are some of the most usual needs for implementation:
1. Device Compatibility:
Caregivers or home healthcare workers must have access to a device. This device must be compatible with the EVV app.
Examples of such a device include a smartphone or computer. The basic requirements of the EVV system for home care should be met by the device.
2. EVV App:
The Electronic Visit Verification app on the caregiver’s device should have all the necessary features.
These include the ability to check in and out of trips, record information, and complete other tasks. It should be easy for workers to use and should make sense to them.
3. GPS Tracking:

EVV systems for home care often use GPS technology to track and confirm the caregiver’s location during visits. This ensures that the providers are actually at the address given, and it also improves accuracy and responsibility.
4. Telephony Integration:
The EVV software may require caregivers to call a toll-free number or use an automatic phone system. This is to confirm their presence at the start and end of each visit. Integration of telephony adds another layer of proof.
5. Security and Privacy:
The devices must put a high priority on keeping medical data safe and private.
To protect private information and make sure privacy laws are followed, the EVV system for home care should have strong security measures, encryption methods, and access controls.
6. Compliance with Rules and Regulations:
EVV standards often include the following rules and regulations set by the government. To be eligible for repayment and to follow the law, it is important to understand and follow these rules.
7. Reporting and saving data:
The software should have ways to store and access data about caregiver visits in a safe way. This information can be used to track, check, and make correct billing records.
It’s important to remember that EVV standards can vary for different locations and health programs. Caregivers, healthcare organizations, and technology providers should stay up-to-date on the EVV standards in their area.
This could help make sure that they are following the rules and that the system works well.
How can the Best EVV System for Home Care Benefit Homecare Agencies?
Homecare companies can get a lot out of the best EVV system for home care:
1. Improved Compliance:
Compliance is improved because an EVV app helps agencies meet legal requirements by correctly recording and confirming caregiver visits. This makes sure that Medicaid and other funding sources are followed.
2. Better accountability for caregivers:

It tracks when caregivers check-in and out, making them more accountable and lowering the risk of scams. Workers are given the care schedule that was planned, and agencies can handle any problems right away.
3. Streamlined Documentation:
An EVV system for home care makes documenting easier, which means less paperwork and routine work. It lets caregivers put information straight into the system, making it easier and more accurate to record data about visits.
4. Real-time Monitoring:
The software lets agencies see what caregivers are doing in real-time. So they can monitor visits, follow caregivers, and immediately address schedule issues. This ensures that services are delivered on time and that resources are used well.
5. Data-driven Insights:
It creates data and analytics that agencies can use to learn more about caregiver performance, patient results, and operating efficiency.
These findings can help with making decisions, allocating resources, and making processes better.
6. Better contact and coordination:
The software makes it easier for caregivers, nurses, patients, and staff to communicate.
It allows sending of secure messages, sharing care plans, and receiving real-time reports. This makes it easier to work together and improve care management.
7. Cost Savings:
EVV software also helps agencies save money on administrative tasks by handling human tasks and cutting down on paperwork.
It makes things easier to do, cuts down on mistakes, and makes the best use of resources.
4 Reasons EVV Implementation is Important
These are the factors that make EVV an essential tool for home health care agencies:
1. Helps Combat Neglect of Clients & Fraudulent Visit Reports
Prior to the implementation of EVV, caregivers would report their home care visits on paper timesheets. These paper records did not always accurately reflect the actual work hours.
Fraudulent claims were frequently made by caregivers who took advantage of the system. Clients who were registered to receive home care services were commonly being neglected by their assigned caregivers.
The loophole in the system was being abused as caregivers were reporting in-home visits and services that were never actually provided.
This loophole became better safeguarded with the implementation of EVV, having to verify each visit electronically.
2. Better Validation of Employee Work Time & Location for Each Visit

With EVV, the employee must digitally report their timesheet information into the system. A GPS tracking system automatically verifies their location to ensure that the caregiver is at the designated home.
The start and end time of each visit is electronically verified in the system with a code or e-signature by the recipient to reduce chances of fraud. EVV assists in the validation of timesheets, location tracking and services provided.
3. Precise Identification Reduces Errors & Redundancy
In order for home care agencies to receive due reimbursement, they must be able to provide accurate information about the caregivers, clients and services provided.
Paper-driven timesheets and data collection documents would commonly have input errors, redundancy, and issues related to deciphering illegible handwriting.
Without accurate information about caregivers, clients and services, billing errors could easily be made, leading to more problems for home care agencies.
An EVV system for Home Care helps resolve these problems by requiring the caregivers to electronically input the necessary data into the system.
EVV simplifies the process for home care agencies, caregivers and clients by eliminating messy handwriting, redundant data input or billing mistakes due to inaccuracy of data.
4. Faster & More Accurate Processing of Claims
With the advent of electronically verifying each home care visit, the accuracy of data collection and speed of processing claims has improved. Home care agencies previously had the dilemma of trying to verify data input of caregivers, clients, service times and more.
This process would use up valuable time and delay reimbursement claims. With EVV, both of these areas have improved making it easier overall.
Without accurate information about caregivers, clients and services, billing errors could easily be made, leading to more problems for home care agencies.
An EVV system for Home Care helps resolve these problems by requiring the caregivers to electronically input the necessary data into the system.
EVV simplifies the process for home care agencies, caregivers and clients by eliminating messy handwriting, redundant data input or billing mistakes due to inaccuracy of data.
What are the Mistakes to Avoid While Implementing an EVV System for Home Care?
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) needs careful planning and thought to make sure it is rolled out successfully. Here are some big mistakes to avoid when putting the plan into action:
1. Lack of Training:
If workers don’t get enough training on how to use the EVV software, it can cause problems. Train everyone well so they know the system’s goal, how it works, and how to use it correctly.
2. Poor Communication:

If you don’t talk about the Electronic Visit Verification rollout in a clear way, it can lead to pushback and confusion. Explain why the EVV system for home care is being used, answer questions, and regularly update caregivers, patients, and other partners.
3. Ignoring User Experience:
If the EVV software is difficult to use or lacks features, people may not use it, and make mistakes.
Choose an EVV app or software that is intuitive, easy to use, and requires the least amount of work from workers.
4. Lack of Testing and flying:
If the software is rolled out without proper testing and flying, it could cause problems and delays that were not expected.
Before full implementation, you should go through comprehensive testing and training stages to find and fix any technical or operational problems.
5. Ignoring feedback from caregivers:
First-hand experiences and comments from caregivers are very important. If you don’t take their ideas into account, you might miss out on important ways to make things better.
Ask for feedback from caregivers often, address their concerns, and make any changes that are needed to improve usefulness.
What to do after Implementing EVV system for home care?
After implementing an EVV system for home care, there are several important steps to take to make sure the system works well:
1. Training and Education:
Give caregivers, staff, and other important people thorough training on how to use the software or app well. Ensure that everyone knows what EVV software is for, how it works, and what to do with it.
To make sure people use it the right way, they may need to keep learning and take training classes.
2. Support and Technical Help:

Give parents and staff who are having trouble with or have questions about the EVV system, ongoing support and technical help. Set up ways for problems to be quickly addressed and fixed, so that service delivery isn’t interrupted.
3. Monitoring and Evaluating:
Check the EVV software’s performance often to ensure it’s operating, and find ways to improve it. Track the correctness of data, how well the system works, and how well caregivers follow rules. Fix any problems or oddities right away.
4. Data Analysis and Use:
Look at the information gathered by the EVV software to learn more about caregiver tasks, patient results, and the speed of operations.
Use this knowledge to make decisions, improve scheduling, make better use of resources, and improve the general quality of service.
5. Collect feedback:

Ask nurses, patients, and other parties about their experiences and how things could be made better. Consider what they say to enhance the system and resolve their concerns.
Minnesota State EVV requirements
Minnesota requires Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for some Medicaid-funded home care services. The government’s 21st Century Cures Act has these standards.
They apply to both personal care services and home health care services. But please keep in mind that rules and requirements can change over time. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) or other officials should be consulted for the latest information.
Here are some of the most important EVV rules in Minnesota:
1. Use of cleared EVV Systems
Caregivers and home care workers must use an EVV system that has been cleared by the Minnesota DHS. The DHS has a list of technical specs and requirements that the approved system should meet.
2. Timeline for EVV execution:
Minnesota has set up a step-by-step plan for EVV execution. The DHS has set exact dates by which different types of home care services must be fully EVV-compliant. Based on the services they offer, providers need to make sure they meet the deadlines.
3. EVV Data Elements:
Electronic Visit Verification systems in Minnesota must gather specific data elements for each visit. This comprises of the visit date, time, service type, location, and provider. For accurate tracking and monitoring, these data points are very important.
4. Visit Verification Methods:
There are several ways to prove visits in EVV in Minnesota. This could be done by using an automated phone system to check in over the phone, a mobile app to check in, or another way allowed by the DHS.
5. Exemptions and exceptions:
In some cases, caregivers may not have to follow all of the rules. If the caregiver is serving a client in a rural region without an internet or mobile connection, they may use different ways.
Conclusion
The EVV system for home care was federally mandated for numerous reasons. With electronic verification of home care visits, the number of neglected clients & fraudulent claims has drastically reduced.
EVV enables better validation of employee work times along with verifying the caregiver’s location for each visit. Data entry errors, and billing mistakes have also decreased due to the precise accuracy of electronic information collection, enabling faster processing of claims.
It’s important to check with your state’s guidelines, as each state has regulations regarding EVV vendors, with some allowing home care services to select their own EVV vendor, and others requiring providers to select a particular EVV vendor.
Caretap is a top quality EVV vendor providing a comprehensive, convenient system for personal care and home health care services.
FAQ's
1. What is electronic Visit Verification?
The 21st Century Cures Act says that EVV must be used to check that Medicaid money is being spent on home care visits. It makes sure that each visit is accurate and real by getting information like the type of service, the people involved, the date of service, and the position using GPS or caller ID.
2. How does EVV system for home care works?
EVV systems use GPS technology, mobile apps, and contact systems. Caregivers use an EVV-specific app on their phones to sign in and schedule trips. The system keeps track of the time, date, and place of when people check in. This keeps people from leaving early and makes sure that everyone is there.
3. What do you need to do to put an EVV system in place for home care?
Device support, an EVV app with the right features, GPS tracking to verify location, phone integration for check-ins, strong security measures to protect data privacy, following government rules, and the right way to report and store data are some of the requirements.
4. What do people in Minnesota need to know about EVV?
For Medicaid-funded home care services in Minnesota, EVV devices that have been approved by the state must be used. The state has set specific deadlines for EVV’s implementation and needs to collect information like the date, time, type of service, place, and source of each visit. Different ways of verifying a visit are allowed, and there may be exceptions in some cases.