Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Frequently Asked Questions

No. Agencies must comply with the 21st Century Cures Act, whether through the State-funded solution or through a third party EVV vendor. If you chose to opt out, you will not be reimbursed by Kansas Medicaid for behavior therapy, personal care services (PCS), respite care and home health services rendered. EVV will be required for home and community-based PCS and other waiver services, non-waiver PCS, and home health care service visits. 

Kansas is providing a State-funded EVV solution called AuthentiCare, which means there is no cost to providers for the software. Agencies can choose to use a different EVV vendor at the agency's expense. If an agency does this, it is critical that the chosen vendor integrates with the State’s vendor, Fiserv. This is called third-party EVV integration. An agency's vendor will be required to send EVV data to the State to verify visits and validate claims. If going with a non-State solution, please ensure integration capabilities. Third-party EVV vendors must be approved by the State. AuthentiCare is a bring-your-own-device model that is simple to use. Provider agency staff complete reporting of visits via an AuthentiCare application (app) on their smartphones or the member’s landline. This will streamline reporting activities, increase accuracy and make the process easier for provider organizations.

Yes. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment requires EVV for all mandated services, regardless if the service occurs in the home or in the community. Most services that require EVV may be provided in both the home or community.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated that all states implement Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for agencies and/or caregivers providing in home personal care, attendant care, respite services and home health visits. This federal requirement is the result of the 21st Century Cures Act. Visits will be electronically verified with the following information: type of service performed, individual receiving the service, date of service, location of service delivery, individual providing the service, time service begins and ends.

The hybrid approach to EVV implementation permits flexibility when choosing which system to utilize. Providers may choose to utilize the State EVV solution at any time. Since training and systems requirements for the State EVV solution differ from that of provider choice systems, KDHE recommends that providers plan timelines accordingly to ensure a seamless transition. Provider agencies must comply with all KDHE timelines, regardless of implementation progress with provider choice interfacing. Provider agencies may use the State EVV solution until their interface is complete to remain in compliance.

The 21st Century Cures Act mandates that states implement EVV for personal care and home health services. Kansas will implement EVV for the required services and additional services that are similar in nature and service delivery. Service types that require EVV include: behavioral therapy, personal care services (PCS), self-directed PCS, home health services, homemaker services, occupational therapy, severe emotional disturbance (SED) PCS, physical therapy, private duty nursing, respite care and speech therapy.  A detailed list of services, including procedure codes, that require EVV in Kansas can be found on the KanCare website or in the EVV program manual.

There is no charge to the provider agencies for the State-funded EVV system. If you choose a different solution the State will not cover those costs.

No. GPS only activates at the time of check-in and check-out, and location is turned off as soon as you close the application.

If you self-direct services that fall on the list of service codes requiring EVV, you and/or your caregiver(s) must use EVV. The list of service codes requiring an EVV is the same regardless if a person self-directs their care. The financial management services (FMS) provider you selected is responsible for training both you and your caregiver(s) on how to use the EVV system.

AuthentiCare is the current default Kansas EVV solution. AuthentiCare is a product of Fiserv/First Data. Fiserv/First Data provides the data aggregator solution in Kansas that will be operational after December 3, 2023. EVV solutions that are not Kansas’ current default EVV provider may be referred to as third-party EVV vendors. They are sometimes also referred to as “provider’s choice” solutions. We may refer to third-party EVV vendor solutions that are approved to interface with the Kansas aggregator function as “trading partners.” Trading partner EVV solutions can be used to bill for services requiring EVV.

A third-party EVV vendor will first read the Kansas EVV aggregator informational flyer available on the Kansas EVV website. From there they will determine which method of data submission they believe is appropriate and fill out an application, also available on the Kansas EVV website. They will email the application to the State of Kansas. The State of Kansas and Fiserv will then coordinate with the third-party EVV vendor with more technical details to determine if the third-party EVV vendor solution is compatible. Eventually this would include testing in a test environment, then the production environment. 

No. Providers can use AuthentiCare, the State of Kansas EVV solution, at no cost. Providers can choose to use a third-party EVV vendor, but it must be approved by Kansas before it can be used to bill for Medicaid services requiring EVV. The State of Kansas will not pay or reimburse the provider agency for the cost of any third-party EVV vendor solution. 

The State of Kansas’ aggregator contractor, Fiserv, will send the technical specifications once they receive and screen the third-party EVV vendor’s application.

There are three data submission methods: API, SFTP, and manual web upload. See the Kansas EVV aggregator informational flyer on the Kansas EVV website for more information.

Kansas is not yet allowing operational use of any third-party EVV vendors, so none are approved as of August 9, 2023 and there is no list. As they are approved, the list will be added to the State of Kansas EVV website. Even approved systems will not be used operationally until after the Kansas data aggregator function is live after December 3, 2023. The list will be only for information — the State of Kansas does not endorse any specific vendor and choosing one is the duty of the provider agency. The provider agency can use AuthentiCare at no cost unless or until they decide to use a third-party EVV vendor, and third-party vendors not listed can apply and go through the approval process to be an authorized third-party EVV vendor. 

The EVV function within an EHR solution is eligible to be approved as a third-party EVV solution. If a provider agency has its own system that includes EVV functions, they can apply for it to become an approved third-party EVV solution. 

There is no deadline. Provider agencies may make the transition at any time. The third-party EVV vendor must be approved. The transition takes 30-60 days. No third-party EVV solution can be used operationally until after the Kansas data aggregator is live on December 3, 2023. 

Yes. Though caregivers will not need to access AuthentiCare if they are instead using third-party EVV vendors, each provider agency will have to access AuthentiCare for some functions, so training is still required. 

The third-party EVV solution must be able to interface with the Kansas data aggregator and be approved to do so for provider agencies to use it for purposes of billing for services requiring EVV. If the preferred third-party EVV solution cannot interface with the Kansas data aggregator, then provider agencies may use AuthentiCare at no cost. Provider agencies could also choose to use other third-party EVV vendors that are approved.   

Yes. Claims must be submitted through AuthentiCare. Caregivers do not need to interact with AuthentiCare if the provider agency is using a third-party EVV vendor. However, provider agency users must use AuthentiCare for some functions.  

There will be an opportunity in all training sessions to both ask questions and provide feedback. KDHE and KDADS will hold provider town hall sessions periodically, as an opportunity for providers to ask questions, obtain guidance, and participate in EVV listening sessions. Additionally, if you need to communicate to someone directly outside of a training, please contact the EVV team. 

The State will continue to update the KanCare website with more EVV information. Providers may review updates on KanCare.ks.gov or through global messages and provider bulletins on the KMAP website. Please check these pages regularly for new information from KDHE and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). In addition, KDHE/KDADS will also hold town hall sessions about EVV periodically as an opportunity for providers to ask questions, obtain guidance and participate in EVV listening sessions.