WASHINGTON, DC - Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) issued the following statement after President Trump signed into law H.R. 6042, legislation authored by #SubHealth Vice Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) to delay a deadline in law that would require the reduction in federal medical assistance for Medicaid personal care services furnished without an electronic visit verification (EVV) system.
“Congress acted as part of the 21st Century Cures Act to help curb improper payments within the Medicaid program - requiring usage of EVV systems for Medicaid-provided personal care services (PCS) and home health services," said Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX). “This commonsense initiative will verify that the services being billed were actually provided. Rep. Guthrie’s bill is a good-government improvement to ensure state Medicaid programs and providers of these services have additional time to implement this policy, so it can be used effectively."
Background:
H.R. 6042 will delay by one year the possibility of a state facing a reduction in federal matching assistance percentage for Medicaid personal care services furnished without the use of EVV systems.
EVV systems electronically verify the following: The type of service performed; the individual receiving the service; the date of the service; the location of service delivery; the individual providing the service; and the time the service begins and ends. The 21st Century Cures Act required stated Medicaid programs to use EVV to track all PCS conducted in a patient’s home by Jan. 1, 2019.
H.R. 6042 passed the House by voice vote in June as part of the House’s latest efforts to combat the opioid crisis. The Senate passed the bill in July by unanimous consent.