The Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced last month that it will request a one-year “good faith effort” (GFE) extension on the federally mandated implementation of its electronic billing system for home health caregivers. Known as Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), the technology verifies where and when a caregiver begins and ends Medicaid home health services for a client.
Texas is required under the 21st Century Cures Act to implement EVV for those services by Jan. 1st, 2023. HHSC will submit a request for an extension to CMS in July, when the agency will be accepting GFE requests outlining delays to implementation. For these requests, CMS requires states to demonstrate they have made a good faith effort to comply but cannot due to encountering unavoidable delays.
HHSC expects to have a response on the extension within 30 days of the request. If approved, the deadline to implement EVV would be January 1st, 2024.
The department advises those affected by the Cures Act Home Health Care Services implementation do not need to act now. Program providers can review the HHSC 21st Century Cures Act webpage for information and updates on the federal EVV requirement.
HHSC is currently soliciting both Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) System Management Services and Medicaid Management Information System Services. Due to the timing of these acquisitions, HHSC determined it is necessary to postpone the implementation of additional home health EVV requirements until the procurements are completed and the resulting contractors are operational. We anticipate that happening in the Summer of 2023,” said HHSC in a statement to State of Reform.
HHSC says it will continue analyzing the programs, services, and service delivery options required to use EVV by Jan. 1st, 2023, until directed otherwise.