Georgia electronic visit verification (EVV) decides whether Medicaid pays for an in-home visit: the aide must log the time, location, and her identity, or the claim can be denied. EVV is not a Georgia policy choice. It is a federal requirement created by Section 12006 of the 21st Century Cures Act, which added Section 1903(l) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(l)) and now reaches every Medicaid-funded personal care or home health service that requires an in-home visit by a provider.

This guide explains Georgia electronic visit verification for the people who feel it most: the Medicaid member receiving in-home care, the aide or family caregiver paid to provide it, and the provider who bills for it.

What the 21st Century Cures Act requires

The 21st Century Cures Act was a sprawling federal health law. Section 12006 added a new subsection, Section 1903(l) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(l)), requiring states to electronically verify Medicaid-funded personal care services and home health care services that require an in-home visit by a provider. The personal care requirement applies to services furnished on or after January 1, 2020; the home health requirement applies on or after January 1, 2023. The purpose was to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid-funded in-home services by confirming that every billed visit actually happened, at the right time and place, by the right worker, for the right recipient.

The statute reaches two service categories:

  • Personal care services are services delivered in the home or community by a paid worker to help a Medicaid beneficiary with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, eating, ambulation) or instrumental activities of daily living (meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, accompaniment to medical appointments).
  • Home health care services are skilled nursing, home health aide, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical supplies provided by a certified home health agency under physician orders.

The requirement covers both fee-for-service and managed care Medicaid, both consumer-directed and agency-directed services, and both HCBS waiver and State Plan services. Anywhere a Medicaid dollar pays for personal care or home health in the home, EVV applies.

What six data elements must every visit capture?

Section 1903(l) sets a minimum of six data elements that an EVV system must verify for each visit. States can require additional elements (tasks performed, recipient signature, supervisor verification), but cannot drop any of these six.

Data element How EVV captures it
Type of service performed A specific service code (HCPCS or state code) identifying the service, such as a personal care or home health aide code.
Individual receiving the service The Medicaid beneficiary, verified by selecting the recipient from the caregiver's scheduled visits or entering the recipient's Medicaid ID.
Date of service The calendar date of the visit.
Location of service delivery GPS (mobile app), caller ID and registered phone number (telephony), or device ID (fixed device), confirming the visit occurred at the recipient's home or another approved location.
Individual providing the service The specific worker, identified through login credentials, biometric sign-in, or a fob or badge scan.
Time the service begins and ends Both the clock-in time and the clock-out time.

What happens if a state does not comply?

Section 1903(l) does not fine a state directly. Instead, it reduces the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), the share of Medicaid costs Washington pays, for personal care and home health spending that is not EVV-verified. The reduction is incremental: it starts small and escalates each year a state remains out of compliance, up to a maximum of one percentage point. The statute's relief for a late state is narrower than it is often described, and it is not an extension of the deadline: a state had to demonstrate to the Secretary both that it made a good-faith effort to comply and that it encountered unavoidable system delays, and even then the reduction was waived only for one year per service: the calendar quarters of 2020 for personal care services and the calendar quarters of 2023 for home health care services.

Georgia implemented EVV for personal care services first, with home health care services following under the staggered federal phase-in. For current Georgia compliance status, refer to DCH's EVV program page.

How states implement EVV: three models

The Cures Act lets each state pick how providers connect to the system. Three architectures are common.

Model How it works Trade-off
Provider Choice Each provider picks its own state-certified EVV vendor; the state accepts data from any certified vendor through an aggregator. Leverages providers' existing systems but requires an aggregator to consolidate data for state reporting.
State Managed The state contracts with a single EVV vendor that all providers must use. Maximum data consistency, but can force providers off systems that already work for them.
Open Vendor The state approves multiple certified vendors; providers choose from the approved list and feed a state aggregator. Combines provider flexibility with state-wide data visibility.

Which arrangement Georgia uses, and what a provider must do to use its own EVV system instead of the state's, is set by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). Its EVV program page is the current source; ask your provider which system it uses before the first visit.

Finding Georgia's EVV system and support line

DCH publishes the state EVV system's name, its support number, and provider guidance on the Georgia EVV program page. Check that page rather than an older handout before you call. If your provider uses a different EVV vendor, the provider is the first stop for app and login problems.

How Georgia electronic visit verification works during a visit

The typical EVV workflow runs in five steps, from reviewing the schedule before arrival to the visit data linking to its Medicaid claim.

1
Step 1

Review the visit before arrival

The caregiver opens the EVV app and reviews her scheduled visit: recipient name, address, scheduled time, service type, and a task list if applicable.

2
Step 2

Clock in on arrival

With a mobile app, she opens the app, selects the visit, and taps "clock in"; the app captures the time, the GPS location, and her identity. With telephony, she dials a toll-free number from the recipient's home phone, and caller ID verifies the call came from the recipient's registered number, then she enters her employee ID on the keypad. With a fixed visit verification (FVV) device installed in the home, she swipes a key fob, and the device records the time and her ID.

3
Step 3

Provide the scheduled services

During the visit, the caregiver delivers the scheduled care. Some systems prompt her to document tasks completed; task documentation may be optional or required depending on the provider and vendor.

4
Step 4

Clock out at the end

The caregiver clocks out the same way she clocked in, capturing the time and location.

5
Step 5

Transmit the data after the visit

The vendor (or the state platform directly) transmits the visit data to the aggregator, which forwards it to DCH and the payer. The visit becomes linked to its claim; claims without matching EVV data may be denied or held pending verification.

What happens when clock-in or clock-out fails?

In practice, electronic capture fails for many reasons: a forgotten phone, a dead battery, no GPS signal, a disconnected home phone, a broken device, a system outage, or a missed clock-out. When that happens, EVV systems allow a manual edit, with guardrails:

  • A justification entered by the caregiver or supervisor explaining why the manual edit is needed.
  • Supervisor approval. Most systems require a supervisor or designated staff member to approve a manual edit, so a caregiver cannot self-edit a timesheet.
  • An audit trail documenting who edited the record, when, and what changed, including the original system state.
  • Monitoring against excessive editing. State and federal audits flag providers with high manual-edit rates, because heavy editing can signal either workflow problems or fraudulent visit padding. Ask your provider what its own manual-edit policy is, since the approval path and the paperwork differ from agency to agency.

Where Georgia electronic visit verification applies

EVV applies to Medicaid personal care and home health delivered in the home or community, including:

  • Personal care under Georgia's Section 1915(c) HCBS waivers: the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) for frail elderly and disabled Georgians, delivered through two models, CCSP (Community Care Services Program) and SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in a Community Environment); ICWP (Independent Care Waiver Program, for adults who apply between ages 21 and 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury); and NOW (New Options Waiver) and COMP (Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program) for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
  • Medicaid personal care for medically fragile children through the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP), which Georgia Medicaid lists alongside its waiver programs.
  • State Plan home health services: skilled nursing, home health aide, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical supplies delivered in the home.
  • EPSDT pediatric personal care for children under 21 when medically necessary.
  • Self-directed services under Section 1915(j), including care delivered by paid family members through Consumer Direction.

EVV does not apply to services delivered outside the recipient's home or community: adult day health centers, group homes, day-program services in licensed facilities, hospice (a separate framework with its own documentation), hospital services, and nursing facility services. It also does not apply to most CMO administrative services, such as care coordination delivered by phone.

Self-directed services and family caregivers

Section 1915(j) self-directed personal assistance lets a beneficiary act as the employer of their personal care workers, including certain relatives. Self-direction is used in Georgia HCBS waivers, particularly ICWP, NOW, and COMP. Who can be paid depends on the program. In the Elderly and Disabled Waiver (CCSP and SOURCE), Georgia will not pay legally responsible relatives (spouses, legal guardians, or parents of minor children) for services they are already legally obligated to provide, while other relatives who meet the provider qualifications and complete the required training may be covered; meeting those criteria makes payment possible, not guaranteed. In NOW and COMP, DBHDD's Family Hire request form bars a spouse and the parent or legally responsible person of a participant under 18, and the participant's Representative for Participant Directed Services cannot be hired as staff.

A paid family caregiver who visits the member's home is generally covered by EVV like an agency aide. The exception is a caregiver who lives with the member: CMS says the federal requirement does not apply, since that care is not an "in-home visit," but a state may still require EVV, so confirm Georgia's rule with your fiscal intermediary or case manager. Our national guide to electronic visit verification for paid family caregivers explains the federal rule behind Georgia's system. For family caregivers, the geolocation capture can feel intrusive. Common ways to reduce friction include simplified mobile interfaces, telephony from the home phone instead of a mobile app, pre-scheduled visit templates, and the technology support that financial management services agencies (FMSAs) provide, including device provisioning, training, and troubleshooting.

EVV in rural Georgia with poor connectivity

Many Georgia counties have limited cellular coverage, slow broadband, or both, and EVV mobile apps need reliable connectivity for real-time submission. The backup capture methods exist for exactly this situation:

  • Telephony-based EVV needs only a working landline or cellular voice connection at the recipient's home. The caregiver dials a toll-free number, and caller ID verifies the location. This works wherever phone service exists, even in cellular dead zones.
  • Fixed visit verification (FVV) devices are small battery-powered units installed in the home. The caregiver swipes a key fob to record visit times, and the device stores the data and transmits it when next connected. FVV is useful where there is no phone service.
  • Offline mobile capture records visit data locally on the phone and syncs when connectivity returns, if the app is configured for offline mode in advance.
  • Cellular hotspots or signal boosters can be deployed at recipient homes in marginal-coverage areas.

These workarounds are not perfect, and rural caregivers may see higher manual-edit rates than urban ones. Technology access compounds it: many caregivers, particularly older family caregivers, do not own smartphones or are not comfortable with apps. The usual remedies are training, a switch to telephony or FVV, and FMSA support staff.

Is your EVV data private?

Yes. EVV data is protected health information under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and its capture, transmission, storage, and use must comply with HIPAA:

  • Authorized users only. EVV data can be accessed by the provider, the payer (DCH or a CMO), the state aggregator, state oversight units, federal regulators with audit authority, and the beneficiary or their personal representative. Other parties cannot access it without authorization.
  • Minimum necessary use. Only personnel who need the data for treatment, payment, or operations should access it.
  • Breach notification. If EVV data is breached, HIPAA breach-notification requirements apply.
  • Beneficiary rights. Beneficiaries can obtain copies of their EVV records, request corrections to inaccurate records, and file complaints, including with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.
  • Geolocation as PHI. The GPS coordinates and location data captured by EVV are protected health information when tied to a Medicaid beneficiary.

Federal oversight and OIG audits

The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits how states implement EVV, and CMS reviews implementation as part of routine Medicaid oversight. For Georgia families this layer is largely invisible, but it is often what moves DCH to change policy and process when compliance gaps surface.

Common EVV problems and how to resolve them

The problems Georgia families and caregivers run into most, and how they are resolved:

  • A caregiver cannot clock in because of phone, GPS, or system trouble. Use the backup method (telephony if mobile failed, mobile if telephony failed, FVV if both failed); the agency's EVV support line provides assistance; a manual edit with supervisor approval covers the gap when no electronic capture is possible.
  • Location capture is inaccurate, showing the caregiver outside the home boundary. The provider reviews and corrects the GPS data, recalibrates the geofence, or confirms presence by phone.
  • The caregiver forgot to clock out and the visit shows an open-ended duration. A manual edit with supervisor approval fixes it; the agency reviews patterns to identify training needs.
  • The recipient's address changed and the system has the old one. The provider and case manager update the recipient profile; interim manual edits may be needed until the update lands.
  • Claims are denied for EVV mismatches. The agency investigates the EVV-claim integration, corrects the data-quality issue, and resubmits.

How beneficiaries and families can engage

EVV is not only a provider compliance issue. Beneficiaries and families have rights and roles:

  • Access your EVV records. Beneficiaries can request copies of their EVV visit records from the provider; this is part of the HIPAA-protected medical record.
  • Correct inaccurate records. If an EVV record is wrong (the visit did not occur as recorded, wrong service type, wrong caregiver), the beneficiary can request a correction.
  • Keep services during EVV failures. Services should not be denied because of EVV technology problems. If a caregiver is willing and able to provide care but cannot clock in due to a system issue, the visit should proceed with manual documentation, and the provider resolves the EVV issue separately.
  • Monitor visits. With the beneficiary's authorization, family members can use vendor portals to see arrival and departure times and flag missed shifts or late arrivals.
  • Escalate when problems persist. Contact the case manager (HCBS waiver participants have one through the waiver), the Georgia ADRC at 1-866-552-4464, which is also the number Georgia publishes for finding the Area Agency on Aging that serves your community, the Georgia Advocacy Office, or the Georgia Legal Services Program when issues are not resolved at the provider level.

Who oversees EVV in Georgia: DCH and DBHDD

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) HCBS Bureau and EVV compliance unit oversee Georgia's EVV implementation, including vendor certification, state aggregator operations, provider compliance monitoring, data-quality reviews, manual-edit audits, provider training, and beneficiary outreach. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) runs parallel oversight for the NOW and COMP waivers, coordinating with DCH on EVV policy for those service categories.

One point of frequent confusion: the waivers above are administered by DCH, with DBHDD running NOW and COMP day to day, and that is separate from Georgia Families, the state's Medicaid managed care program. Georgia Families currently contracts with three Care Management Organizations (CMOs): Amerigroup Community Care, CareSource, and Peach State Health Plan. A reprocurement that named a different slate of plans is still in the protest phase, and until the Notice of Award issues, DCH is extending the current three contracts through June 30, 2027. For the current CMO panel, refer to DCH.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Georgia electronic visit verification (EVV)?

EVV is the federally required system, created by Section 12006 of the 21st Century Cures Act, that verifies Medicaid-funded personal care and home health visits by electronically capturing six data elements: the type of service, the recipient, the date, the location, the provider, and the start and end time. In Georgia, the DCH EVV program publishes the state system, provider guidance, and the current support line.

Who has to use EVV in Georgia?

Every provider of Medicaid personal care services and home health care services in Georgia, including HCBS waiver providers (the Elderly and Disabled Waiver's CCSP and SOURCE, ICWP, NOW, and COMP), Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) agencies, State Plan home health agencies, EPSDT pediatric personal care providers, and self-direction financial management services agencies, including family caregivers paid through self-direction.

How does a caregiver clock in?

Most commonly through a mobile app on a smartphone, which captures GPS location. Alternatives are telephony (calling a toll-free number from the recipient's home phone, verified by caller ID) and a fixed visit verification (FVV) device in the home. If electronic capture fails, a manual edit is allowed with the caregiver's justification, supervisor approval, and an audit trail.

Does EVV apply to family caregivers under self-direction?

Usually. Federal EVV rules reach paid family caregivers under Section 1915(j) and other self-direction when they make in-home visits. CMS says they do not apply when caregiver and member live together, though a state may still require EVV, so ask your case manager how Georgia treats your arrangement. Separately, Georgia's waiver rules generally keep a spouse or the parent of a minor child from being the paid caregiver.

Can my services be denied because of an EVV problem?

A technology failure is a billing problem, not a reason to go without care. If a caregiver is willing and able to provide care but cannot clock in due to a system issue, the visit should proceed with manual documentation, and the provider resolves the EVV issue separately. If a provider tells you otherwise, raise it with your waiver case manager, DCH, or the ADRC at 1-866-552-4464.

Can I see my own EVV records and correct them if they are wrong?

Yes. Beneficiaries can request copies of their EVV records from the provider, and vendor portals often allow family-member access with the beneficiary's authorization. If a record is wrong, request a correction; the audit trail documents the original record and the change. If the provider does not correct it, escalate to the case manager, DCH, or the Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the Division of Aging Services program that investigates complaints from facility residents.

How does EVV work in rural Georgia with poor cellular coverage?

Telephony-based EVV uses the recipient's landline and works wherever phone service exists. Fixed visit verification (FVV) devices are installed in the home and store visit data for later transmission. Offline mobile capture lets the app record data locally and sync when connectivity returns.

Key contacts

Verify program-specific phone numbers against DCH and the Georgia ADRC directories before relying on them in a care plan.

Georgia Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) Statewide line run by Georgia's 12 Area Agencies on Aging, and the number for finding the one that serves your community. 1-866-552-4464https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/national-family-caregiver-support-program aging.georgia.gov/programs-and-services/adrc
Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Georgia Medicaid agency and EVV program owner. dch.georgia.gov
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) Oversees EVV for the NOW and COMP waivers. dbhdd.georgia.gov
Georgia Advocacy Office Protection and advocacy for Georgians with disabilities. thegao.org
Georgia Legal Services Program Free civil legal aid for lower-income Georgians outside metro Atlanta. www.glsp.org
HHS Office for Civil Rights Files HIPAA privacy complaints about EVV records. www.hhs.gov/ocr/index.html
Georgia 211 helpline Statewide referral line for health and human services. 211

Learn More

MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Programs OverviewGeorgia Medicaid 2026: income and asset limits, the EDWP waiver (CCSP and SOURCE), Pathways to Coverage, Miller Trusts, estate recovery, and how to apply. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Personal CareGeorgia Medicaid pays for in-home personal care through HCBS waivers: EDWP (CCSP and SOURCE), ICWP, NOW, COMP. Who qualifies, who can be paid, how to apply. MedicaidGeorgia CCSP WaiverGeorgia CCSP Waiver 2026: who qualifies for the Community Care Services Program, what it covers, and how to apply through your Area Agency on Aging. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Covered ServicesWhat Georgia Medicaid covers in 2026: hospital and doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and EPSDT for children. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Managed Care PlansGeorgia Medicaid managed care in 2026: the three Georgia Families CMOs (Amerigroup, CareSource, Peach State), how to choose a plan, and how to switch. MedicaidHow to Apply for Georgia MedicaidHow to apply for Georgia Medicaid in 2026: Georgia Gateway, your local DFCS office, Form 700, the documents you need, processing timelines, and how to appeal.

Find personalized help navigating Georgia's EVV requirements at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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