Provider Alert! EVV Updates Now Available for Policy, Reason Codes, Visit Maintenance Unlock Request and EVV Policy Training

Date: August 3, 2023

Attention: STAR Kids Providers/Consumer Directed Services employers, and FMSA Providers

Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) would like to let providers know that Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will post new and revised policies to be added to the Electronic Visit Verification Policy Handbook, effective Oct. 1. These revisions are outlined in the Policies effective Oct. 1, 2023 (PDF), located on the EVV webpage. 

How this impacts providers:

Revisions include:

• Updating Section 9000 Reason Codes to address new Reason Codes
• Adding new policy covering the new “bill time in” and “bill time out” data fields.
• Updating Section 8090 Rounding.

Reason Codes

HHSC has published EVV Reason Codes Effective Oct. 1, 2023 and after (PDF) and the EVV Reason Codes Crosswalk (PDF), to compare the different versions of reason codes, on the EVV webpage. 

Updates to VMUR Templates and VMUR Job Aids

HHSC published EVV VMUR templates for Program Providers and FMSAs (Excel) and for CDS employers (Excel), on the EVV webpage.

A new option is now available in the Incorrect Data Element drop-down list. “Bill Time In” and “Bill Time Out” was added to document the actual clock in time of the service and the actual clock out time of the service.

An example of a request to document the “Bill Time In” and “Bill Time Out” can be found in the EVV VMUR Job Aid for Program Providers and FMSAs (PDF) and EVV VMUR Job Aid for CDS employers (PDF).

EVV Policy Training Updates on the HHS Learning Portal

HHSC updated the following training materials on the HHS Learning Portal to align with the policy revisions mentioned above:

• EVV Policy Training for Program Providers and FMSAs FY23 course:
  • Module 2: EVV System
  • Module 4: Clock In and Clock Out Methods
  • Module 5: Visit Maintenance
  • Module 5.1: Reason Code Practice (new optional module added to help program providers and FMSAs learn more about the EVV Reason Codes Effective Oct. 1, 2023, and after (PDF) and when to use them, depending on the visit maintenance situation)
• EVV Policy Training – Webinar Recordings FY23 course:
  • HHSC added the webinar recording videos and webinar handouts from the:
    • Annual EVV Policy Training for Program Providers and FMSAs webinar held June 29, 2023
    • Annual EVV Policy Training for CDS Employers webinar held July 13, 2023

If you need help creating an account on the HHS Learning Portal and enrolling in EVV Policy Training, access the EVV HHS Learning Portal Guide (PDF) on the EVV Training Resources webpage.

Next steps for providers: Providers should share this communication with their staff.

If you have any questions, please email Provider Relations at: providerrelations@texaschildrens.org.For access to all provider alerts,log into:
www.thecheckup.org or www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/for-providers.