CFSS is coming in Minnesota!
In addition to our core goal of connecting those in need of at-home care with the right caregiver, Best Home Care’s team is engaged with the larger homecare industry. Recently, we’ve written about the shortage of personal care assistants (PCA). Another upcoming challenge is adherence to the federal Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) mandate.
“Under the federal 21st Century Cures Act, all Medicaid-reimbursed home care providers across the country must be utilizing EVV as of Jan. 1, 2019. EVV refers to technology a caregiver uses during a home visit, such as a mobile application or landline telephone system, that captures information including the time when service begins and ends. The government believes mandatory EVV will cut down on fraud and abuse.”
– Home Health Care News, Jan 2018
This impending deadline has brought media attention to EVV, including stories about privacy concerns around the GPS data collected by EVV systems.
A couple of years ago, fueled by a desire to do something positive for recipients with the GPS data collection mandated by EVV, and inspired by services like Uber and Lyft, Best Home Care helped contribute to the development of the PCA On Demand application. PCA On Demand gives recipients of personal home care the power to self-staff in the event of unexpected caregiver absences.
In an effort to honor the person-centeredness of these services, we included a feature to help recipients communicate their needs in a general request for PCA services, as well as an option to browse caregivers and choose based on their profiles.
We understand that recipients’ needs vary. Sometimes, for example in a last-minute absence, they might be less concerned about finding the perfect homecare provider, and more interested in finding someone who can start right away. However, at other times, perhaps to fill a long-term care position, the recipient might want to take more time to find an ideal match.
The PCA On Demand feature is unique to our EVV system. As the state chooses a system to meet the federal mandate, it should prioritize systems like these that aim to empower recipients and make an impact on the workforce shortage. Instead of seeing EVV as a burden, we can take this opportunity to finance technology that improves people’s lives.
