Electronic Visit Verification (EVV): Providing the Proof

The benefits of home-based health care are substantial. From cost savings and patient comfort, to the overall improved outcomes across the health care field, home care is changing the industry dramatically.

As beneficial as home care is, many agencies have been hesitant to provide home-based services due to the major challenge of ensuring caregivers adhere to their schedules, or how we use the term, “visit verification.”

According to the Institute of Medicine, roughly $75 billion is lost annually due to fraud and abuse in health care; one of the most common forms being claim submissions for payments on services that were never provided.

With payers and taxpayers losing billions of dollars, accountability has become a major topic of discussion in the home care industry as providers look for new ways to shake the fraud stigma and regain client trust.

In the past, agencies have relied on client signatures, paper trails, and random supervisor visits to verify the delivery of in-home services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the employment of home health care workers is projected to increase by 48 percent between 2012 and 2022, making paper processes even more inconvenient and impractical.

These processes not only leave huge margins for error, but are also very susceptible to questionable billing practices. With the Affordable Care Act cracking down on fraud, many agencies are required to make the switch to Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) systems.

But requirements aside, there are a number of reasons why home care providers should consider implementing a mobile, GPS-based EVV:

Accountability

A mobile EVV paired with GPS (triangulated with client addresses), allows agencies to accurately track and monitor visit documentation including caregiver location, and length of visits.

Caregivers can punch in and out only once they’ve arrived at the patient’s home, and providers are notified of these events through a portal or message notification in real-time. This assures services are being delivered to clients when and where they are scheduled to be, and can greatly improve the caregiver experience.

Convenience

A GPS-based EVV replaces outdated timesheet processes, reducing human error and misplaced paper trails, while increasing time savings. Providers can easily and accurately track travel costs and verify visits . Furthermore, field staff can access up to the second schedule updates, which include turn by turn directions and a number of other tools to help them focus on client needs.

Real-Time Verification

Agency staff can verify visit information and documentation immediately. Information is entered in real-time at the point of care reducing error and eliminating excessive data entry. The managing staff also has the ability to quickly respond to scheduling issues such as delayed or missed visits due to real-time updates, reducing agency costs substantially.

Increased Compliance

Configurable KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) and alerts create awareness around delayed or missed visits, increasing transparency around visit verification and worker compliance. GPS also allows the managing staff to easily confirm that each provider is doing as they should, which is visiting clients at their homes for the required amount of scheduled time.

Electronic Visit Verification can help restore home care’s reputation, and ultimately lead to a higher quality of patient care. When implementing an EVV solution, it is important to make sure it can be integrated into your software for Medicaid billing. Having a system that recognizes your scheduling, billing, and administration will allow for a smooth transition, while reducing costs and maximizing efficiencies.

AlayaCare’s home care software is an all-in-one, cloud-based solution with an incorporated mobile, GPS-based EVV that works seamlessly across all modules. Don’t let accountability get in the way of providing better patient outcomes.

Request a demo today and get a step closer to becoming a leading provider of quality, reliable home care.