Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for PCW Agencies
Date: 06/16/21
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced the hard launch of Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for Medicaid-covered personal care and supportive home care services. The official date is January 1, 2022. To help you with the upcoming official launch, MHS Health has provided some valuable information.
What is EVV?
EVV is an electronic system that uses technologies to verify that authorized services were provided. Workers will be required to send information at the beginning and end of each visit to an EVV system, including:
- Who receives the service
- Who provides the service
- What service is provided
- Where service is provided
- Date of service
- Time in and time out
EVV Launch Dates
We are currently in a period know as “soft launch.” Right now, missing EVV data will not result in denied claims. MHS Health is currently keeping track of claims missing the EVV record. It is important to know that claims submitted without an EVV record after the hard launch date will be denied. The date for hard launch of Wisconsin’s EVV program has not been set.
Who Will Use EVV?
MHS Health requires all PCW Agencies to utilize EVV, including live-in workers. Please be reminded that all Medicaid members enrolled under Network Health Plan (NHP) are managed by MHS Health. All MHS Health policies, processes and directives, including EVV, apply to NHP members as well.
Technology to Collect EVV data
When using the DHS-selected EVV system, workers may use a mobile phone, tablet, landline phone, or a fixed VoIP phone to capture visit data. Cellular or Wi-Fi availability are not required at the point of care for workers to complete this step. Cellular or Wi-Fi are only required to send the visit information afterwards. In certain situations, a small digital device provided by DHS can be used to capture visit data.
Alternate EVV systems may provide different options for collecting visit data. Traditional methods of logging information, such as paper records of care, may continue but do not fulfill EVV requirements.
How Can I Get Ready?
Steps to implement EVV are:
- Determine if your provider agency will use the DHS EVV system or an alternate EVV system (external link).
- Identify a lead administrative user within your agency. This person should be the first to complete trainings and be the primary contact for EVV.
- Identify and attend offered training.
- Identify other administrative users within your agency.
- Follow the ForwardHealth Portal EVV User Guide (PDF) (external link).
- Verify or update contact information in the Forward-Health Portal to receive EVV information from DHS.
- Obtain unique worker IDs via the ForwardHealth Portal:
- Learn how to obtain a unique worker ID (external link)
- Start the process to obtain a unique worker ID (external link) Log in first; then follow the instructions.
- Develop a training plan (external link) for your organization.
- Sign up for EVV updates.
Need Additional Support?
DHS holds informal, monthly drop-in sessions for provider agency administrators. Learn more (external link).
MHS Health also holds roundtable meetings with personal care agencies on a bi-monthly basis or as needed. These sessions are a great opportunity to learn more about EVV, ask questions, and engage in conversation with other PCW Agencies.
Join us for the next MHS Health Roundtable!
Tuesday, September 14 at 11:00 a.m. (CST)
Use this Zoom link. Registration is not necessary.
Please contact Yotzy.Perteet@mhswi.com for future dates and times of MHS Health Roundtable meetings.