25 Nov Iowa Electronic Visit Verification
To view the Iowa Medicaid EVV System solution by Alora, click here
Iowa Medicaid EVV
Information on Iowa Electronic Visit Verification
As home health and personal care agencies continue to move towards compliance with regulatory requirements with regard to Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), agencies in Iowa face important deadlines for EVV implementation. The Iowa Department of Health and Humane Service (Iowa HHS) requirements will need to be met for certain types of care in the state, or agencies will face the risks of denied payments and other possible penalties. Get info on the start date, the state-sponsored EVV system, and more in this blog…
Iowa Medicaid EVV Information
It began with the 21st Century Cures Act…
Section 12006 of the 21st Century Cures Act mandated that U.S states are required to implement an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system for all Personal Care Services (PCS) and home health services that require an in-home visit by a provider. All states were required to begin EVV for PCS providers by January 1, 2020* and for home health by January 1, 2023.
States that did not implement EVV were to be subject to financial penalties in the form of a decrease in Federal Medicaid matching funds, referred to as the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate.
What is the EVV start date in Iowa?
- Electronic Visit Verification initially was set to be implemented in the State of Iowa in December of 2016 per the 21st Century Cures Act
- Section 12006 of the Act originally required EVV for personal care services starting Jan 2020 and for home health services on Jan 1, 2023
- Iowa was granted a one-year good faith exemption deeming the requirement for Iowa changed to January 1, 2021, for personal care, and then updated to January 1, 2024, for home health services.
- The state selected Carebridge as their official EVV aggregator
What provider types are required to use EVV in Iowa?
- Home health services and waiver providers including Individual CDAC providers, and Consumer Choices Options (CCO) providers, Personal Care providers.
What data or information is required in EVV transmission?
With respect to personal care services or home health care services, and in accordance with the parameters set forth by the 21st Century Cures Act, a compliant Iowa Medicaid EVV system must verify electronically
- The type of service performed
- The full name of the individual receiving the service
- The full name of the individual providing the service
- The specific date the service was provided
- The physical address (location) where the service was provided
- The time the service begins and ends
What is the state aggregator for Iowa EVV?
Carebridge
Can I use an alternate EVV system outside of the state-provided system?
Yes, as long as the EVV system is capable of fulfilling all the Carebridge aggregator requirements of the state-sponsored system in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act.
What vendors can my agency use for Iowa compatible EVV?
Iowa Home health & personal care providers are free to use the state-sponsored provider Carebridge or to select an alternate Iowa EVV system that works best for their agency workflow. Agencies may select a provider of their choice so long as it meets the minimum requirements of the state-sponsored system in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act specifications.
Alora Home Health Software is an approved vendor for electronic visit verification in the state of Iowa. Functioning seamlessly with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services EVV aggregator, CareBridge, Alora’s EVV system offers compatibility and assurance that EVV data is accurately and successfully transmitted to CareBridge.
Is a new EVV software vendor necessary if my agency already uses a company that captures documentation services and already has the capability to collect visit data?
If your agency already has an EVV system that collects all the data elements that are required and is expected to be able to exchange data with the aggregator then there is only a need to check and ensure this is done in compliance with Iowa’s chosen EVV aggregator Carebridge’s system. All EVV vendors or alternate EVV system providers will have to work with your agency and the state of Iowa to verify they are collecting the mandatory data elements and are able to send them successfully.
To learn more about Alora’s certified EVV system for Iowa or about complete home health software for Iowa home health agencies with integrated electronic visit verification, click here.
Request EVV information Request an EVV price quote
ALORA EVV Benefits include:
- Monitor home visits live, automatically tracking no-shows or delayed visits
- Accelerate agency billing and payroll (as EVV data is automatically populated into claims processing & payroll)
- Complete POC-based visit notes directly from Alora’s EVV interface
- Unmatched ease of use for clinicians – In addition to capturing EVV information, nurses & therapists can complete visit notes & assessments while at the patient’s home, enjoying access to important clinical information on their mobile device of choice
- Empower home health aides – with Alora, aides can quickly check their schedules, look up patient information, & communicate directly with your agency through secure mail (includes text notification)
- Assurance of using an approved EVV vendor, integrated into a complete homecare software solution
LEARN MORE ABOUT IOWA ELECTRONIC VISIT VERIFICATION
THE HISTORY OF EVV REQUIREMENTS
The state and national call for electronic visit verification initially began as an answer to growing fraud and inconsistencies nationwide in homecare visit verification claims, culminating in the invention of the 21st Century Cures Act. The law was initially introduced a few years ago to provide accountability and efficiency, reducing the potential for fraud and other payment difficulties. The 21st Century Cures Act requires electronic visit verification (EVV) systems for Medicaid-funded personal care services (PCS) and home health services.
Within the 21st Century CURES Act, Section 12006 listed a requirement that states had to implement a compliant EVV system for Medicaid-funded Personal Care Services (PCS) by the original dates of January 1, 2019, and additionally for Home Health Care Services (HHCS) by January 1, 2023. Federal legislation actively delayed any possible penalties for PCS implementation until January 1, 2020. The COVID-19 global pandemic spurred many states to leverage good faith extension requests to ease the already cumbersome burden of timely EVV implementation. As many implementation mandates took effect in 2021 through 2023, (with Iowa’s going into full effect in January 2024) agencies are now positioning themselves to acquire an Approved Iowa EVV system to ensure compliance and no disturbance in timely payments.
THE ALORA HOME HEALTH BLOG
Read the Alora blog and website to learn more about home health software for Iowa, Iowa Medicaid compatible EVV systems, and recent news, articles, and commentaries, as well as other issues that pertain to Iowa Home health care in the state and beyond. For more information on our blog, or for questions or feedback, please send us an email to HomeHealthSoftware@AloraHealth.com
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