How to Choose an EVV System for Your Home Care Agency
What is EVV?
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a system that tracks when caregivers arrive at and leave a client's home. It records the date, time, location, and type of service provided.
The 21st Century Cures Act requires EVV for all Medicaid-funded personal care and home health services. If your agency bills Medicaid, you need an EVV system.
How EVV Works
Most EVV systems use one of these methods:
- Mobile app — the caregiver clocks in and out on their phone. GPS confirms the location.
- Telephony — the caregiver calls a number from the client's landline to clock in and out.
- Fixed device — a small device at the client's home that the caregiver interacts with.
Mobile app-based EVV is the most common today because almost everyone has a smartphone.
What to Look For
State Compliance
Every state has its own EVV rules. Some states have a state-mandated system (like Sandata or HHAeXchange). Others let you pick any system as long as it meets their requirements. Check your state's Medicaid agency website first.
Integration with Your Software
If you already use scheduling or billing software, check if it has built-in EVV. Using a separate EVV system means more data entry and more room for errors.
Caregiver Experience
Your caregivers are the ones using this every day. Pick a system with a simple mobile app. If it takes more than 30 seconds to clock in, something is wrong.
Reporting
You'll need to submit EVV data to your state's aggregator. Make sure the system can generate the reports your state requires without manual work.
Popular EVV Systems
- HHAeXchange — the largest Medicaid EVV platform, used in many states as the official aggregator
- Sandata — another major player with state contracts across the US
- Tellus — newer cloud-based platform gaining traction
Many all-in-one home care platforms (AxisCare, Axxess, Alora) also include EVV modules.
Our Advice
Don't choose an EVV system in isolation. Think about your whole tech stack. If you can get scheduling, billing, and EVV in one platform, that's usually better than cobbling together separate tools.