Electronic visit verification

Minnesota EVV

DHS has selected a hybrid EVV model. Providers may choose the state-selected EVV system or a third party EVV system that meets state requirements.

State-selected EVV system, HHAeXchange:

• Providers may use the state-selected EVV system at no cost to them.
• Providers may need to expend time and resources to comply with the EVV requirements.

Third-party EVV system:

• Providers may choose a third-party system or continue to use an EVV system they already are using for their organization.
• Providers will be responsible for costs associated with their chosen system.
• Providers must ensure their third-party system connects to the HHAX data system and meets state requirements.
• To review a list of third-party EVV systems that have successfully connected to HHAeXchange, visit the Minnesota third-party electronic visit verification systems webpage.

Timeline

DHS is starting EVV in phases by service type. DHS expects providers to start using EVV for affected services during their implementation phase. Visit the Required services tab to see an overview of required services.

• Phase 1: Financial management services (FMS) for personal care services. Launched June 20, 2022.
• Phase 2: Remaining personal care services. Launched Dec. 12, 2022.
• Phase 3: Managed care organizations (MCOs) for personal care services. Launched June 5, 2023.
• Phase 4: Home health services. Launched Oct. 16, 2023. (All home health service providers launched, regardless of payer.)

Required data to verify EVV

The EVV system must electronically verify that home or community-based service visits occur by electronically collecting six points of data:

• Type of service performed
• Who received the service
• Date of service
• Location of service delivery
• Who provided the service
• When the service begins and ends.

EVV is required for all required services, regardless of where services start and end.

EVV verification methods

DHS is taking a mobile-first approach for verifying EVV visits within the HHAX system.

• Caregivers download and use the HHAX mobile application on their smart device.
• English interactive voice response lines for all HHAX providers on the state-selected EVV system (free EVV portal) will be available beginning Aug. 1, 2023. This process will be rolled out to current providers with an expected completion date by Oct. 1, 2023.

Providers who use a third-party EVV system must work with their vendor on device options for EVV. 

• DHS does not oversee devices for third-party system users.
• Providers may use what works best for their organizations as long as it captures the required EVV data.

Caregivers may use their own personal smart phone or tablet, or a smart phone or tablet issued by the program provider. Minnesota DHS does not provide smart devices for EVV use.

Home health implementation

DHS began to use EVV for home health services for fee-for-service and managed care organizations Oct. 16, 2023. All providers should have received a welcome letter from DHS (PDF) outlining the next steps to begin using EVV.

HHAeXchange enrollment form

Providers must complete the HHAeXchange enrollment form no later than Aug. 21, 2023, in order for HHAeXchange to configure your provider portal.

Note: Fill out the enrollment form if you are a new or existing provider to HHAeXchange in Minnesota. If you receive the welcome letter from multiple MCOs, you only need to complete the enrollment form once.

Next step: Review the information session

Providers must review the information session. The state held information sessions with all Minnesota MCOs were not plan-specific.

Providers can review the information session on HHAX Minnesota EVV Provider Information Center.

Frequently asked questions

EVV provider frequently asked questions

EVV quarterly update sessions

Additional information

• 21st Century Cures Act, Public Law 114–255 (PDF)
• CMS's Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) webpage
  • Aug. 8, 2019, CMS informational bulletin (PDF)
  • Oct. 24, 2019, CMS informational bulletin (PDF)
• Electronic Visit Verification System Stakeholder Recommendations, DHS-7651 (PDF) legislative report
• CMS good faith effort exemption requests: Personal care services webpage

Live-in caregivers

For more information about the live-in caregiver exemption policy, click the Policy tab.

Safe at Home participants

Participants in the Safe at Home program who receive or provide required services will not be using an EVV system at this time, regardless of what system their provider has chosen. DHS is working to determine the appropriate options to ensure information remains confidential.

Personal Care Assistance (PCA) Supervision T1019: UA

Through the first two phases of EVV implementation, DHS has gained valuable insights and received continued feedback that has helped us refine our approach to EVV. Based on these insights and feedback, DHS has made the decision no longer to require providers of PCA Supervision (T1019:UA) to use EVV. Removing PCA Supervision will streamline the EVV launch for provider agencies and reduce confusion about required services.

Hospice services

DHS will not require hospice services and providers to use EVV. This update streamlines EVV implementation for provider agencies and reduces confusion about required services.

Through the first three phases of EVV implementation, DHS has gained valuable insights and received continued user feedback to help us refine our approach to EVV. DHS decided to update EVV requirements for hospice based on these insights and feedback.

EVV service codes-Personal care

DHS has phased out the prior waiver codes for personal care services. The updated table below lists current codes including the new Waiver Reimagine codes that previously had been listed separately.

Detailed list of required services for EVV

Note: S5130 without modifiers or modifiers other than TG are not required.

EVV service codes-Home health

Additional services might be subject to EVV. If we add additional services that are subject to EVV, DHS will communicate these changes via eList and website updates.

Provider requirements

Personal care service providers who provide required EVV services must complete the Provider Enrollment Survey if they have not done so already.

Home health service providers: Visit the Home health tab for next steps to begin to use your chosen EVV system.

Compliance

DHS is using lessons learned from the first two launches of EVV to help develop policies and guidance to ensure providers are able to comply with the new rule. Providers who provide required services for EVV need to complete the onboarding process and begin using their EVV system.

We know providers, caregivers and members need time to learn the EVV system they selected and that it will take time for EVV to become routine. We are not enforcing compliance that will result in claim denials or reversals in 2023. We will monitor EVV use until we publish compliance requirements to ensure you are prepared to meet them.

We are required to report EVV use to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quarterly and identify providers who are not using an EVV system. We will provide technical assistance to providers identified in the reports as we move toward compliance requirements.

Billing

Minnesota's EVV system will use a post-payment review process, which is the current process for billing with DHS. Providers will continue to use DHS' current billing process when using EVV.

Service authorizations

For services that do not require prior authorizations, provider agencies must manually create the member profile in the HHAX system. For all other services, HHAX will create the member profile in the system.

For questions about a specific service authorization, providers should contact the payer on the authorization.

Required services

Review the detailed list of required services for EVV.

First step for all providers

Review the information session posted to the HHAX Minnesota EVV Provider Information Center. Providers will receive an overview of EVV in Minnesota and the HHAeXchange system.

Providers without an EVV system or who would like to use the state-selected system: Visit the Info Session tab and review the information session for the services you provide.

Providers with an existing EVV system or who want to use a third-party EVV system: Visit the EDI Process tab and review the EDI (Integrating Providers) information webinar for the services you provide.

Provider enrollment survey

To use the HHAeXchange EVV system or connect a third-party EVV system, a provider agency's EVV contact/administrator must first complete the Personal care services provider enrollment survey.

• Once the survey is complete, providers who use a third-party EVV system must submit a ticket through the HHAX client support portal to begin the integration process.
• Note: the email used to complete the survey will be the email used to receive all communication from HHAeXchange, including credentials.

HHAeXchange system users

Training

Once the survey is complete, providers will receive their learning management system credentials within three to five business days.

• Providers receive one user name used throughout the provider agency for the learning management system.
• All provider agency EVV staff need to complete all the modules in order to navigate the HHAeXchange system.
• If a provider has not received their learning management system credentials, submit a ticket through the HHAX client support portal.

Providers are responsible for training and ensuring caregivers, members and responsible parties feel comfortable with the system.

• Providers have access to job aids and guides in their provider portal. These can be used to train caregivers, members and responsible parties on how to use the system.
• Providers may have to create additional training materials to onboard people.
• Training materials from HHAX will be available in Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Vietnamese and Russian.

Provider portal

Providers will receive their HHAeXchange portal credentials within three to five business days once the survey is complete.

• Admin users will be responsible for creating additional accounts for staff in the HHAeXchange system.
• If you do not receive your portal credentials, submit a ticket through the HHAX client support portal.

Once providers receive their portal credentials and complete LMS trainings, they can begin to enroll caregivers in the system.

• Providers can use the Caregiver Bulk Import Process Guide to upload caregivers into the system when they have a large quantity of caregivers. This can also be done manually with smaller quantities. Find the process guide on the HHAX website.
• Member information and authorizations are sent from MMIS by DHS to the HHAeXchange system and then connected to the provider's portal.
• Providers must check member information to ensure it is accurate and add additional information as needed.
• Once caregivers have been uploaded and member information is connected to the provider portal, providers can begin connecting caregivers to members.

Using the HHAX System

Once caregivers are connected to members, provider agencies will direct their caregivers to begin using the system to verify EVV visits.

• Caregivers will begin to use the mobile application at the start and end of every visit to verify.
• Caregivers download and use the HHAX mobile application on their phones.
• Providers are responsible to ensure that caregivers have devices to document EVV visits.

Third-party EVV system users

Providers must review the business and technical specifications posted on the HHAX Minnesota EVV Provider Information Center under the EDI Process tab before they can begin to connect to the HHAeXchange data system.

Connecting to HHAX data system

HHAeXchange will begin working with the provider and their EVV vendor to complete testing.

• Once testing is successful, meaning correct files are sent by the provider agency and are successfully received by HHAeXchange, providers will receive their production credentials.
• Production credentials are used to send production files to HHAX in the production environment.

Training

Once the survey is complete, providers will receive their learning management system credentials within three to five business days.

• Providers receive one user name used throughout the provider agency for the learning management system.
• All provider agency EVV staff must complete the EDI module to navigate the HHAeXchange Portal connected to their EVV system.
• Providers will have access to other modules in the learning management system to reference when using their portal to review data.
• If a provider has not received learning management system credentials, submit a ticket through the HHAX client support portal.

Providers using a third-party EVV system need to work with their vendor to complete training in their EVV system.

• Providers are responsible for training and ensuring caregivers, members and responsible parties feel comfortable with their EVV system.

Sending data

Providers will begin to use their EVV systems to send data to HHAeXchange once testing is complete and production files have been sent.

• Providers will receive their HHAeXchange portal credentials within three to five business days after the survey is complete.
• Admin users will be responsible for creating additional accounts for staff in the HHAeXchange system.
• If you do not receive your portal credentials in three to five business days, submit a ticket through the HHAX client support portal.
• Providers must review any rejections they receive and correct them in a timely manner.

Policy

To read DHS policies for EVV, visit the Electronic visit verification (EVV) CBSM page. DHS is developing policies using information from the first two phases of implementation. DHS will notify providers when we post policies.

Providers may create additional policies for EVV to meet their business needs by using the DHS requirements and policies for EVV.

Live-in caregivers

Live-in caregivers are exempt from some EVV requirements, according to federal guidance. Live-in caregivers must enter the following required information into the EVV system at least once per day:

• Type of service performed.
• Person who received the service.
• Date of the service.
• Location of the service delivery.
• Person who provided the service.
• When the service begins and ends.

DHS does not require live-in caregivers to interact in real time with the EVV system. However, provider agencies may choose to require live-in caregivers to interact in real time.

For more information, review the policy on the Electronic visit verification (EVV) live-in caregiver policy CBSM page.

Devices

DHS recommends caregivers use the mobile application to verify EVV visits within the state EVV system, HHAeXchange (HHAX), whenever possible. DHS and HHAX offer a secondary verification method for EVV using a telephone system known as interactive voice response (IVR).

Provider agencies that use third-party EVV systems must work with their EVV vendor to determine device options that verify EVV services delivered and capture the required data.

DHS does not provide or reimburse costs for EVV devices. Provider agencies are responsible to ensure caregivers and people who receive services have access to devices to verify EVV.

For more information, review the policy on the Electronic visit verification (EVV) device usage policy CBSM page.

Verification methods

Provider agencies and caregivers may complete EVV using different methods, including, but not limited to:

• Mobile application
• Telephone systems
• Fixed object device (FOB).

Electronically verified visits must capture the required EVV data points listed on the Electronic visit verification (EVV) CBSM page, regardless of the method used.

People who receive services, caregivers and provider agencies may choose the verification method that works best for their individual needs.

The state-selected EVV system, HHAeXchange (HHAX), offers two verification methods: the mobile application and IVR.

Provider agencies using a third-party system may explore other methods to verify EVV that capture the required data.

For more information, review the policy on the Electronic visit verification (EVV) verification methods policy CBSM page.

EVV contact guide