It’s important for Georgia home care agencies to stay up to date with EVV best practices and changes within the state. Being on top of these updates will help agencies stay compliant with state regulations so they can be reimbursed for services in a timely manner.
For new agencies, it’s important to understand the need for electronic visit verification (EVV) and the differences in services provided by a state aggregator and a third-party vendor like Rosemark.
EVV is Mandatory
Before we delve into anything specific, we want to remind your agency that if you’re billing Georgia Medicaid, EVV is a requirement, not an option.
The state of Georgia provides free tools through its state aggregator, Netsmart. However, it’s important to note that aggregators like Netsmart are data storehouses. Their job is not to help your agency grow. Their job is to store the EVV data for the state so the state can reimburse for services, confirm EVV, and audit if necessary.
The Differences Between Netsmart and Rosemark
While Netsmart does have a GPS-enabled EVV app, their tools are not intended to be a full data management scheduling software. Client information is populated automatically because it’s connected to the state database, so that’s a benefit. However, transitioning from physical paper to the Netsmart portal can take up to a month. This is because their system is only updated when that information comes in.
Using a third-party vendor like Rosemark allows home care providers to take that paperwork and turn it into an actionable client almost immediately.
The state aggregator’s intention is to provide baseline tools, zero cost tools. In order to get additional features through Netsmart, agencies must pay for them, and they are expensive. In addition, their features are not nearly as robust as Rosemark’s.
Rosemark’s tools are built specifically to make an agency’s day-to-day operations better, smoother, and faster. While you’ll find an AI-based chat box as the support feature on Netsmart, with Rosemark, you’ll get direct access to a human.
Georgia Home Care Agencies Should be Aware of:
- Licensure: Home care licensure should be tied to the program under which your agency is providing care.
- Diversification: Diversifying services could be highly beneficial to home care agencies seeking to grow their business.
- Provider ID Numbers: Agencies that bill Medicaid in Georgia should thoughtfully approach the subject of Provider ID Numbers.
Provider ID Numbers are the most important thing to be clear on to make sure billing goes through.
Provider IDs must be updated on a client when clients move from one program to another, as each program has a different Provider ID per agency.
If the shift has been sent to the wrong program in Netsmart, there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. The shift cannot be recalled, and it will not be billable.
The only option is to rebill it under a new shift, new service, and manual EVV must be used. It takes a lot of work and time to fix this, adding more strain on an agency’s already-limited resources. This also increases the agency’s manual EVV percentage, which the state will take into account when reimbursing and for possible auditing.
EVV for Non-Medicaid Agencies
We’re at a point where paper is becoming dangerous for your business, even if it feels comfortable.
If there’s a fire, flood, or other natural disaster, an agency could lose all of its paper records. Paper is a liability.
Even if your agency is not required to use EVV because you don’t currently bill Medicaid, you should still consider switching from paper. It’s much easier to track and verify caregiver shifts and tasks electronically than it is through paper.
In addition, EVV provides proof that the caregiver was where they were supposed to be at the time they were supposed to be there. This should help resolve any issues with a client who claims the caregiver didn’t show up to provide care.
For Georgia home care agencies, EVV should not be an “if,” it should be a “must.” If your Georgia agency bills Medicaid, EVV is mandatory.
Sometimes new agencies try to go with the free option provided by the state’s aggregator, but it ends up creating huge problems for them. Georgia home care agencies looking for a secure, reliable, and customizable third-party software, reach out to our team today for more information.
Our job at Rosemark is to help agencies succeed with whatever their business goals are by providing easy-to-use tools, a full suite of features, and the Rosemark Caregiver App.