Today, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is crucial for ensuring compliance, improving transparency, and reducing fraud in home care. It’s a technology that verifies visit details, including the time, location, and type of service delivered, as mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act. For agencies using HHAeXchange, selecting compatible EVV software is essential. EVV requires that your caregivers clock-in and clock-out using an app or another method (see below) and there is always a central database (usually "state Medicaid," but sometimes a payer or group of insurance companies contracted by state Medicaid).

Of course state Medicaid organizations and Insurance companies are not "computer software experts" so they contract with a software company to provide that central database function where the EVV data is maintained.  These software companies are called EVV aggregators and HHAeXchange (often referred to as HHAX) is one of the biggest.  As a side note, there's another aggregator called Sandata that is actually "the biggest" but Sandata has recently been acquired by HHAX. So officially HHAX is now the biggest but we would expect that the Sandata-brand will stay in place for a long time. Here's an article we wrote about choosing EVV software that is compatible with Sandata.   Placeholder... You can read that article here.

Even before their acquisition of Sandata, HHAX was the 2nd largest EVV aggregator. This article will guide you through understanding EVV software and its importance in-home care, how HHAeXchange functions, and the top EVV software options that integrate with HHAeXchange to meet operational, compliance, and efficiency needs.

Understanding EVV Software and Its Importance in Home Care

EVV software ensures that home care visits meet compliance standards by capturing and verifying details such as time and location. This verification process is not only beneficial for compliance but also helps agencies manage billing accurately, optimize scheduling, and ensure that caregivers are delivering services as required.

Key Benefits of EVV Software

1. Compliance: EVV software helps home care providers meet federal and state mandates, a necessity to receive Medicaid funding.
2. Accountability and Transparency: Real-time visit verification ensures that caregivers are delivering the services outlined in each participant’s plan.
3. Operational Efficiency: By reducing manual paperwork, EVV software streamlines documentation, saving administrative time and allowing staff to focus more on care delivery.
4. Reduced Fraud: By tracking visit locations and times, EVV software reduces fraudulent claims, protecting the integrity of Medicaid-funded services.

These benefits make EVV essential for home care agencies seeking to deliver consistent, accountable, and compliant care. The next step is understanding the role of HHAeXchange as an aggregator platform for EVV and home care services.

The Role of HHAeXchange in Home Care

HHAeXchange started by building home care agency software, but their primary role today is as an aggregator, providing a centralized database of electronic visit records.  As highlighted above HHAeXchange recently expanded its reach by acquiring Sandata, another prominent player in the EVV space. This acquisition solidifies HHAeXchange’s position in the market, providing agencies with integrated compliance solutions across multiple states.

Key Features of HHAeXchange as an EVV Aggregator

1. Data Collection: HHAX needs to receive 
2. Compliance Tracking: Ensures compliance with EVV mandates by tracking visit details.
3. Reporting and Analytics: Provides reports for billing, scheduling, and regulatory compliance.
4. Real-Time Integration with EVV Systems: Allows data flow between EVV software and HHAeXchange, ensuring accurate and timely information for compliance and billing.

How EVV Software Works with HHAeXchange

Integrating EVV software with HHAeXchange enables real-time sharing of visit data, allowing for more accurate billing and streamlined compliance reporting. Here’s how the process typically works:

1. Caregiver Checks In: At the start of a visit, the caregiver checks in via their EVV software, capturing the time, location, and service details.
2. Data Sync with HHAeXchange: The visit data automatically syncs with HHAeXchange, updating the system in real time.
3. Compliance and Billing Checks: HHAeXchange validates the visit data, cross-referencing with each client’s care plan to ensure that all requirements are met.
4. Real-Time Reporting: Administrators can view data within HHAeXchange for immediate reporting and billing.

This streamlined integration ensures that data flows seamlessly from the point of care to billing and compliance reports, enhancing accuracy and reducing the administrative burden.

Meeting Regulatory Requirements with EVV Software

Federal mandates, like those in the 21st Century Cures Act, require Medicaid-funded home care services to use EVV to ensure visit accuracy and prevent fraud. Integrating compliant EVV software with HHAeXchange enables agencies to meet these requirements and avoid penalties.

Key Compliance Aspects

1. Time and Location Tracking: EVV software verifies that caregivers are delivering services at the approved location and time.
2. Service Documentation: By capturing the type of service provided, EVV software ensures that visits match each client’s authorized care plan.
3. Data Retention: EVV-compliant software retains visit records for audit purposes, ensuring that agencies can provide documentation if required by Medicaid.

For agencies using HHAeXchange, it’s important to select EVV software that integrates seamlessly to ensure real-time compliance tracking and reporting.

Choosing the Right EVV Software for HHAeXchange

Selecting the right EVV software compatible with HHAeXchange involves balancing compliance needs, usability, and operational efficiency. Below are some of the top EVV software solutions compatible with HHAeXchange, each with its unique strengths:

1. Ankota

Ankota stands out as a provider-centric EVV solution, with flexibility and customization at its core. Designed with input from home care providers, Ankota’s system supports agencies that require advanced documentation and tracking capabilities, particularly those working with disability services and DayHab programs.

Key Features:

• Seamless Integration: Real-time data syncing with HHAeXchange.
• Goal-Driven Documentation: Allows for customized tracking of Goals, Activities, and Strategies.
• Automated EVV Exemptions: Handles exemptions for family caregivers and community visits automatically.
• Advanced Analytics: Offers real-time business intelligence tools to track financial and operational metrics.

Best For Agencies needing a high level of customization and goal-driven documentation.

2. HHAeXchange Built-In EVV

For agencies looking for a straightforward solution, HHAeXchange offers its built-in EVV. This solution integrates seamlessly within the HHAeXchange platform, making it ideal for agencies prioritizing basic compliance.

Key Features:

• Integrated Platform: EVV is built into HHAeXchange’s scheduling, billing, and reporting systems.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate updates for EVV compliance.
• Easy Setup: Streamlined for agencies already using HHAeXchange.

HHAX is best for: Agencies who have one or two caregivers that need to do EVV while the rest don't.  In this case the caregiver clocks into both their regular mobile app and HHAX.

3. Sandata

Sandata, recently acquired by HHAeXchange, is known for its compliance features and integration with state Medicaid systems. It’s a trusted EVV solution for agencies looking for reliable, compliance-driven features.

Key Features:

• State-Specific Compliance: Designed for Medicaid EVV requirements across multiple states.
• Integration with HHAeXchange: Data flows seamlessly for reporting and billing.
• Scheduling and Documentation: Offers basic scheduling and visit documentation tools.

Sandata is Best For: Agencies that already are using Sandata when HHA becomes their aggregator.

4. CareBridge

CareBridge offers comprehensive EVV capabilities with HHAeXchange compatibility, making it suitable for agencies seeking a well-rounded EVV solution. With a focus on usability, CareBridge’s interface is easy to navigate, making it accessible for caregivers.

Key Features:

• Complete EVV Suite: Includes scheduling, compliance, and billing.
• User-Friendly Interface: Easy for caregivers to use, reducing training time.
• Customer Support: Strong support options for agencies of varying sizes.

CareBridge is Best For Agencies who specialize on serving clients with higher need for 24 x 7 medical support (highly acute clients). The main offering of CareBridge is an always available medical call center.

5. WellSky Personal Care

WellSky acquired ClearCare and have renamed it WellSky personal care. Wellsky provides a simple and reliable home care software that is mostly used by Private Pay agencies. It that integrates well with HHAeXchange. It’s known for its intuitive design, which helps caregivers complete EVV tasks quickly and accurately.

Key Features:

• Intuitive Design: User-friendly for caregivers and administrators.
• Integrated with HHAeXchange: Streamlined data flow for compliance.
• Basic Compliance Tools: Ideal for small to mid-sized agencies.

Wellsky Personal Care is Best For: Personal Care agencies with a few Medicaid clients. The best practice is to have the caregiver clock-in twice (use Wellsky for their agency time tracking) and get the free HHAX app for their EVV clients.

Comparison Table: Best EVV Software Compatible with HHAeXchange

Enhancing Operational Efficiency with EVV and HHAeXchange Integration

Integrating EVV software with HHAeXchange does more than just ensure compliance; it also enhances operational efficiency. With the right EVV system, agencies can automate key tasks, reduce administrative workloads, and focus on delivering quality care.

Benefits of EVV and HHAeXchange Integration

1. Automated Data Transfer: Reduces manual data entry, saving time and minimizing errors.
2. Real-Time Compliance Monitoring: Allows administrators to monitor compliance as visits happen, reducing compliance issues and helping agencies stay audit-ready.
3. Accurate Billing and Scheduling: Links EVV data directly to billing, ensuring that each service provided is billed accurately.
4. Optimized Resource Allocation: Real-time data helps agencies manage caregiver schedules effectively, ensuring that resources are used efficiently.

Ankota, with its advanced business intelligence tools, stands out for offering real-time operational insights, giving administrators the tools they need to make data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

Selecting the right EVV software for HHAeXchange integration requires balancing regulatory compliance, operational needs, and ease of use. While HHAeXchange and Sandata provide strong compliance-focused options, provider-centric solutions like Ankota offer the customization and adaptability required for goal-driven care. For agencies seeking a future-ready, personalized EVV solution, Ankota stands out as an ideal choice.

Each of these EVV platforms provides unique strengths, making them suited to different types of agencies. Consider your agency’s goals, compliance needs, and operational requirements to make the best choice.

If you’re interested in exploring a provider-centered EVV solution, reach out to Ankota for a personalized consultation.

Ankota's mission is to enable the Heroes who keep older and disabled people living at home to focus on care because we take care of the tech. If you need software for home care, EVV, I/DD Services, Adult Day Care centers, or Caregiver Recruiting, please Contact Ankota.