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EVV Requirements for Ohio Medicaid Postponed to January 2025

Client Alert

Recently, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) announced that it is pushing back the effective date of changes to the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) claims adjudication process to January 1, 2025. Previously, the EVV requirements were set to go into effect on October 1, 2024.

The ODM initiated its EVV program in 2018 to comply with the Federal 21st Century Cures Act, which required all state Medicaid programs to implement an EVV system to verify personal care services by January 1, 2020, and home health services, by January 1, 2023. 

EVV is an electronic system for providers to capture patient visit data and to more accurately bill ODM for home visits. In Ohio, EVV is specifically required for providers who participate in the following ODM programs:

  1. Ohio Home Care Waiver
  2. MyCare Ohio Waiver
  3. PASSPORT Waiver
  4. Individual Options Waiver
  5. SELF Waiver

The EVV system requires home health providers to enter five important data elements during eligible visits: 

  1. Who receives the service
  2. Who provides the service
  3. What service is provided
  4. Where the service is provided
  5. The date and time the service begins and ends.

Providers have three ways to capture the visit data: via a mobile app; dedicated phone line (i.e., telephony); or manual entry on a computer into the system. However, ODM only permits manual visit entry when a device app or telephony is not available or appropriate for the member’s needs.

If you have any questions regarding the EVV system and/or requirements, please contact BMD Healthcare Member Daphne Kackloudis at dlkackloudis@bmdllc.com  or Attorney Jordan Burdick at jaburdick@bmdllc.com.


New Ohio Recovery Housing Rules Take Effect January 1, 2025

Ohio’s new recovery housing rules, effective January 1, 2025, require certified community behavioral health providers to refer clients only to accredited recovery housing residences listed on the statewide registry.

SCOTUS to Weigh In on Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Right to Choose their Provider

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments this spring on whether Medicaid beneficiaries have an enforceable right to choose their healthcare providers without state interference, as outlined in Section 1902(a)(23) of the Social Security Act. This case stems from a South Carolina petition challenging a Fourth Circuit ruling that blocked the state from terminating Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid provider agreement.

I Went to Bed and the Rules Changed: the Corporate Transparency Act is Back on Hold

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ordered on December 26, 2024 that in an effort to “preserve the constitutional status quo” while it considered the Federal Government’s appeal, it vacated the prior order for a stay of the nationwide injunction pending appeal entered on December 23, 2024, and reinstated the preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of the CTA and its corresponding Reporting Rule.

Telemedicine Flexibilities Extended to March 31, 2025

The American Relief Act of 2025 extends key telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025, originally enacted during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). These flexibilities remove geographic and originating site restrictions for Medicare patients, expand the list of qualified practitioners, and allow for audio-only services and telehealth mental health care without in-person requirements. Although this extension is temporary, it provides continued access to essential healthcare services. Congress will need to pass permanent legislation to solidify these changes beyond March 2025.

Corporate Transparency Act Is Back in Effect: Are You Ready?

On December 23, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the filing requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), overturning a prior injunction. Businesses now have updated deadlines to file initial beneficial ownership information reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), based on their registration date. Affected companies must comply with these new deadlines, which vary depending on when the company was created or registered.