What’s New?

In this section, you will find any changes and new information, as well as updates you should be aware of as you move forward with EVV implementation.

Please read this EVV transition communication in its entirety, as it relates to claim submission for the services listed below. This linked information will make sure you are ready for the EVV transition.

The MMIS will no longer be available to bill for services for the following service codes beginning December 1, 2022. Your agency must be fully onboarded with EVV and submitting all visits for the following service codes through an EVV system ahead of December 1, 2022.

• Attendant Care – S5125U2
• Personal Care 21 and Over – T1019U3
• Personal Care 21 and Under – T1019
• Respite – S5150

New Information

The MMIS will no longer be available to bill for services for the following service codes beginning December 1, 2022. Your agency must be fully onboarded with EVV and submitting all visits for the following service codes through an EVV system ahead of December 1, 2022.

• Attendant Care – S5125U2
• Personal Care 21 and Over – T1019U3
• Personal Care 21 and Under – T1019
• Respite – S5150

A phased in approach will start on November 1, 2022. Any visits for the services above must be submitted through an EVV system, or your payment for these claims will be suspended for up to one week. Payment will be delayed. This will occur for any visits submitted through the MMIS between November 1, 2022, and November 30, 2022. To avoid claim suspension and payment delays, you must submit these visits through an EVV system—either AuthentiCare or a chosen third-party EVV system that aggregates with AuthentiCare.

If you have questions, please see the contact information table.

If you have already received your credentials:

• Please log in to the AuthentiCare system if you have not yet done so. If you have logged in, please begin, or continue to load required information into the system.
• If you are using a third-party vendor, please ensure that your vendor has contacted Fiserv to test the aggregator or is currently testing.

If you have not received your credentials:

• You will receive credentials when training completion is confirmed, when your attestation form has been received by both you and your third-party vendor (if using third-party and not AuthentiCare), and when you have made any requested address change updates.
  
  If you have not yet completed all required training, please immediately contact: evvarkansas@dhs.arkansas.gov.

Please use the following contact information for any questions related to EVV.

• For Provider Enrollment questions, please contact: 1-800-457-4454
  Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST)
• For AuthentiCare system or functionality related questions, and/or need to open a ticket with Fiserv, please contact AuthentiCare Support: 1-800-540-5126, or AuthentiCare.Support@firstdata.com
  Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CST)
• For other questions, concerns, or if escalation is needed, please contact evvarkansas@dhs.arkansas.gov

AuthentiCare Demo

The recording of the AuthentiCare demo, presented by Fiserv on 7/28/2020, is now available on the Gainwell Technologies Billing Portal.

If you have not already done so, please complete the EVV selection declaration form as soon as possible.

Updates

• In the EVV webinar held on July 14, we stated that landlines would only be accepted for the client. However, we have received clarification from CMS and we can now accept client cell phones.
• Client signatures will not be required at this time due to the circumstances around Covid-19.

EVV Overview

The 21st Century Cures Act—which was signed into law in 2016—requires state agencies to implement a system of electronic visit verification (EVV) for personal care services and home health care services provided and reimbursed under Medicaid. The EVV mandate is designed to enhance quality and accuracy of care services.

On October 22, 2019, CMS approved the Arkansas EVV Good Faith Effort Exemption request. This means the State has until January 1, 2021 to implement the EVV program. For this initial implementation, EVV will be used for personal care, attendant care and respite services. EVV is required to be implemented for Home Health by January 1, 2023.

Electronic Visit Verification is a process that uses electronic means to verify care provider visits for personal or home health care services. The information collected during visits includes:

• the date of service provided
• the start time and end time for service provided
• the type of health care service performed
• the location of the service provided
• information about the service provider.

EVV offers a modern way for care providers to record their visits by location, time, and tasks. Visits can be logged using an app on the caregiver’s cell phone or the member’s landline phone.

Provider Enrollment Requirements

• All caregivers who will be using EVV for personal care, attendant care and respite services must enroll with Arkansas Medicaid. This is a mandatory requirement that must be met for agencies to bill services.
• Caregivers can enroll online through the Billing Portal, or by filling out and mailing in a paper application.
• Once the caregivers are enrolled, they will be given a provider number which may also be called a PIN (personal identification number).

More information about enrolling as a Medicaid provider can be found on the Billing Portal.

Training Information and Important Dates

Live training sessions are available for the AuthentiCare Arkansas system. If you have not yet completed all required training, please immediately contact: evvarkansas@dhs.arkansas.gov.

If you do not complete the required training, you will not be issued credentials for the AuthentiCare system. These credentials are required for EVV regardless of whether you are using AuthentiCare or a third-party system.

View the EVV training information spreadsheet. This spreadsheet includes registration links within the training calendar, as well as training module descriptions.

Please note the following:

AuthentiCare Web Portal
Training for Providers, state staff and designated contractors addresses the administrative hub for AuthentiCare. This includes claims, scheduling, visit maintenance, onboarding workers and system monitoring.

AuthentiCare Reports
Providers and state staff will be trained on the usage and production of standard AuthentiCare EVV reporting.

AuthentiCare 2.0 Mobile Application
Providers and Caregivers are trained on administrative and user functions of the AuthentiCare Mobile app.

AuthentiCare Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System
Providers and Caregivers are trained using real-life scenarios within the IVR environment.

AuthentiCare Train-the-Trainer
Nominated provider staff receive training in how to deliver AuthentiCare modules to the caregiver community.

Fiserv and AuthentiCare

DHS has partnered with Fiserv (formerly First Data Government Solutions) in the implementation of an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. Fiserv, headquartered in Wisconsin, was established in 1984 and now serves clients in more than 100 countries. Fiserv enables innovative financial services experiences for the way people live and work today. Their solutions connect organizations in secure and reliable ways.

As Arkansas prepares for an EVV system implementation, Fiserv will bring expertise with their product, called AuthentiCare. AuthentiCare is an automated solution that streamlines operations and promotes quality of care. AuthentiCare is smartphone compatible and can be used on multiple devices in a flexible and secure way. It offers real-time reporting and monitoring. Fiserv’s team is committed to working with DHS to ensure a smooth implementation of the EVV system.

The AuthentiCare solution, provided by Fiserv, is an electronic application. AuthentiCare’s mobile application is available on Android and iOS, and simply requires the user to download and install the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. AuthentiCare is also accessible from the client’s landline, if available. Check out the AuthentiCare webpage for more detailed information and to get a look and feel of how the system may function for you.

Third-Party EVV Option

The declaration form on this page is for Medicaid fee-for-service only, not PASSE. You do not need to complete another declaration form for the PASSE’s, just one indicating which system (AuthentiCare or third-party) your agency will be using. They will be reaching out to you about the process to work with their EVV vendor.

Arkansas has opted to use an open vendor model; this is a hybrid model in which the State contracts with one EVV system vendor and allows providers and managed care organizations (MCO) the option to use either the State-selected EVV vendor or a third-party vendor (new or existing) as long as it meets the State’s requirements.

Arkansas has contracted with Fiserv to offer AuthentiCare as the State-selected EVV system vendor for agencies at no cost. You may still use your existing EVV system vendor if it meets the following criteria:

• Must be able to comply with 21st Century Cures Act
• Must be able to configure your system to match the Arkansas DHS EVV System Rules and provide attestation that the configuration settings have been applied
• Must be able to capture all the data fields required as specified in the AuthentiCare Data Aggregator Interface Guide and successfully transmit the information via one of the approved transport methods to Fiserv for upload into AuthentiCare for daily claims processing

If your chosen EVV system vendor cannot meet the above criteria, you must either choose a new EVV system vendor or move to the State-selected EVV vendor—AuthentiCare.

All Arkansas Medicaid provider agencies must inform DHS of their decision by completing the Arkansas EVV Declaration Form. This form must be completed whether you choose to use AuthentiCare or a third-party system.

The Arkansas DHS EVV System Rules for a third-party EVV system vendor can be found below. Please send any questions you may have to ARthirdpartyevv@dhs.arkansas.gov.

Documents and Resources

Here you will find required documentation and resource materials, including previous communication that may have been shared via email.

An AuthentiCare demonstration was held on July 28th, 2020. This demo provided an overview of basic system functionality to help inform agencies during system selection. If you were unable to attend, the demo was recorded and can be found on the provider portal.

General

• AuthentiCare Quick Reference Guide

Required for Third-Party Integration

• Third-Party System Certification Process and Checklist
• Third-party EVV System Certification Process (Visual)

Arkansas DHS EVV System Rules

All third-party EVV systems must be in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act and must capture the following elements:

1. The type of service performed
2. The individual receiving the service
3. The date of the service
4. The location of the service delivery
5. The individual providing the service
6. The time the service begins and ends

The third-party EVV system vendor must configure the system with the following rules:

1. Scheduling is not mandatory
2. English and Spanish languages must be available
3. Check in and out must be available via mobile and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) landlines
4. Geo Fence must be set at 1/8 of a mile
5. Early visit threshold must be set at 7 minutes
6. Last visit threshold must be set at 7 minutes
7. Missed visit threshold must be set at 30 minutes
8. Unit calculation must follow DHS guidelines:
   
   Please note that items 5, 6, and 7 above only apply if scheduling is used. The State did not require scheduling to be mandatory due to agency feedback, but it is optional.

Minutes	Units
0 min–7 mins	0 units
8 mins–22 mins	1 unit
23 mins–37 mins	2 units
38 mins–52 mins	3 units
53 mins–67 mins	4 units
68 mins–82 mins	5 units
83 mins–97 mins	6 units

• Passwords must meet the following criteria:
  • Minimum of 9 characters, at least 1 uppercase letter, 1 lowercase letter, 1 number, and 1 special character
  • The user’s password cannot be one of the last 10 passwords
  • Passwords are required to be changed every 60 days
  • The user will be locked out after 3 failed login attempts
• Access must be role-based driven access
• The third-party EVV system must be able to receive prior authorizations and client membership information from Arkansas DHS sources
• The third-party EVV system must be able to handle exceptions as noted below:

Exception	Exception Level	Exception Description
Authorization Units	Critical	The visit was performed for a number of units that is beyond the units available on the authorization.
Duplicate Visit	Critical	This visit was found to be a duplicate of a previously filed visit.
Client Eligibility	Critical	The client was ineligible at the time of the visit.
Worker Eligibility	Critical	The worker was ineligible to perform services at the time of the visit.
Out Of Fence Check In	Critical	The check in location does not match the client’s location.
Out Of Fence Check Out	Critical	The check out location does not match the client’s location.
Activity Code Missing	Informational	The visit requires an activity code to be entered upon check out, and no activity code was entered.
Phone Check In	Critical	The visit check in phone number does not match the authorized phone number for the client.
Phone Check Out	Critical	The visit check out phone number does not match the authorized phone number for the client.
Overlapped Service	Critical	The client is receiving multiple services at the same time.
Overlapped Claim	Critical	The provider is providing services for a member for multiple services at the same time.
Overlapped Worker	Critical	The worker is providing services to multiple clients at the same time.
Attestation	Informational	This visit does not have client attestation.

Previous Provider Communication Regarding the EVV Implementation

Please find previous communication regarding the EVV implementation below. Please note these prior communications are for reference only.

• September 2022 – MMIS Cutoff Information
• May 2022 – Attendant Care Rate Change for ACR Originated Claims
• May 2022 – Attendant Care Rate Change MMIS Adjustment
• May 2022 – AuthentiCare Exception Codes A2 and A3
• February 2022 – Attendant Care Rate Change
• January 2022 – Update and Survey
• September 2021 – 835 processing
• September 2021 – Q&A session update
• August 2021 – Claim Resubmission Process
• July 2021 – Billing Cutoff Update
• July 2021 – File Timing Information
• July 2021 – Batch Submission Info
• July 2021 – Special Characters FYI
• July 2021 – AuthentiCare July Release
• July 2021 – Billing Cutoff Reminder and Claim Information
• July 2021 – Claim Submission Clarification
• June 2021 – Payer Assignment
• June 2021 – Split Shift Information
• April 2021 – AuthentiCare Mobile App for iOS
• March 2021 – AuthentiCare Mobile Release for Android
• March 2021 – Software Upgrade
• January 2021 – Date Update and Geofence Information
• January 2021 – Provider Meetings
• September 2020 – Training Information
• July 2020 – System Selection Bulletin

Frequently Asked Questions for Providers

Frequently Asked Questions for Clients

EVV Contact Information for Providers