Changes in Medicaid

“THESE CHANGES WILL HELP ELIMINATE FRAUD WITHIN THE MEDICAID SYSTEM BY GIVING MORE CONTROL OVER SCHEDULES AND TASKS OF CAREGIVERS WITHIN CLIENTS’ HOMES.”

Medicaid’s national policy and program changes are prompting adjustments in agencies like Family First. One of the new and upcoming changes is that we will no longer be able to bill for transportation to doctor’s appointments. This means Medicaid recipients who need transportation to doctor’s appointments will have to use our state-operated transportation system. Although this change will be very new for us, we will still be able to assist with transportation for personal attendant care such as grocery shopping or medication pickup.

The next big change that Medicaid will undergo is electronic visit verification (EVV). This will be starting in 2021, so we have been preparing for this change. Every agency will have a system that does electronic visit verification of anyone who’s receiving Medicaid Waiver services  Anytime a caregiver is going into a home, an EVV system will be required.

EVV’s have a built-in GPS that will monitor where caregivers are when the clock and out. There will also be an application caregivers will use to input their to-do lists in order to help stay on track with daily tasks. Through the EVV, they will also signing off on their care plan via an app or phone call. Once completed, this information will be sent to the state and recorded for billing purposes.

The Century 21 Care Act is bringing these changes forward to eliminate fraud within the Medicaid system. This will give agencies more supervision of caregivers’  schedules and tasks within clients’ homes.

With the assistance of Medicaid, some home care  agencies such as Family First offer policies that allow family members to be hired as caregivers for their loved ones. This opportunity is very beneficial in situations where families want to be involved in care, but need to continue working. We think it is important for more families to know about this opportunity. If you find yourself providing a lot of care but are in need of compensation, we encourage you to research agencies that have this policy available.