Wisconsin Defies Federal Deadline

The Wisconsin Department of Health has taken a stance against the January 2019 deadline for EVV implementation. The state says the deadline is impractical, so it will work with stakeholders and CMS to implement EVV within a more reasonable time frame. DHS has not announced that timeframe, but assures providers that they do not need to take action at this time.

Eventually, DHS plans to establish a single statewide EVV vendor.

Programs Affected: Personal care and home health services, including services provided through Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus fee-for-service, BadgerCare Plus health maintenance organizations (HMOs), Supplemental Security Income HMOs, Family Care, Family Care Partnership, IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct), and Children’s Long-Term Support Waiver

Oregon Providers Share Concerns about EVV

In a recent stakeholder meeting, Oregon providers and ODDS representatives deliberated extremely tender topics about the upcoming EVV implementation. Providers were concerned about foreseen barriers to EVV compliance and the lack of clarity from ODDS.

Many Oregon providers are already familiar with eXPRS, which captures a lot (but not all) of the information the 21st Century Cures Act requires. To reduce the impact of the EVV implementation, the state plans to expand eXPRS so it is fully EVV-compliant. But providers worry about the cost of any mobile devices and data plans necessary for EVV.

They also presented questions like:

  • How will a PSW clock in/out if the reception is poor or overcrowded?
  • If agencies provide mobile devices to their PSWs, how will PSWs share the devices?
  • Can eXPRS handle even more usage? It is already overloaded at certain times of the month.
  • Will clocking in/out in front of the client blatantly remind the client that he or she is dependent on others for daily activities?

The state tabled most of these topics until the next stakeholder meeting.

Programs Affected

Personal support workers (PSW)

Texas Will Not Renew Contract with EVV Vendor

In 2016, Texas mandated a “modified open vendor model” with two EVV vendors eligible for selection by provider agencies: DataLogic Vesta and MEDsys. MEDsys’ contract ends in November 2018 and HHSC announced it will not be renewing MEDsys’ contract due to their poor services. Providers using MEDsys have until September 30, 2018 to switch to DataLogic Vesta; they must begin the process before July 31st to allow sufficient time.

Alternatively, providers may choose their own system, but DataLogic Vesta must approve it.

Programs Affected: Personal assistance, personal care, in-home respite services

Infographic: The Workforce Crisis in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has faced a caregiver shortage for years, but the crisis continues to grow in severity.  A group of Wisconsin health care organizations conducted a study this year to examine the current state of the workforce crisis.

These results were gathered by the Wisconsin Health Care Association, the Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living, the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge Wisconsin, and the Disability Service Provider Network.

Infographic: The Long-Term Care Workforce Crisis in Wisconsin

Tips to Combating the Effects of the Labor Shortage

Human service providers face a labor shortage, as the demand for services outweighs the supply of workers. Unfortunately, the problem is here to stay. There are multiple factors causing the labor crisis, but even if one or two go away, which is unlikely, the others are sufficient to continue to cause problems for providers. So, agencies will need to learn to live with a labor shortage for the foreseeable future as best they can.

Hear From MITC’s Agency Solutions Team Lead

Sarah Dickey, MITC Agency Solutions Team Lead explains in this video the driving factors behind the shortage. She also offers tips and tools to help providers mitigate its impact. Watch the video for our ideas to rise above the competition!

Louisiana on Third Attempt at EVV Implementation

The first two times Louisiana mandated EVV, the state selected a single vendor that all providers were required to use. In 2013, the state contracted with Sandata and in 2015 it contracted with First Data. Both attempts ultimately failed. Now, Louisiana is again implementing EVV to comply with the 21st Century Cures Act, but it is taking a different approach.

Louisiana contracted with LaSRS for a statewide EVV system, but is allowing providers to use another system as long as it integrates with LaSRS. Effective May 1, 2018, any providers who do not comply with the EVV mandate — including those who manually enter data into LaSRS — will receive corrective action. The state made it clear that non-compliant providers may not receive reimbursement for billed services.

Programs Affected: HCBS direct-care services delivered outside of the home, including center-based, vocational, and transportation services

West Virginia Plans to Mandate Single Vendor

West Virginia is researching and planning for its statewide EVV implementation, and plans to enter a contract with a single EVV vendor. The state has not yet announced which vendor.

Programs Affected: Hands-on, direct care services, such as those provided by the Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Waiver (IDDW), and State Plan Personal Care Program