HHAeXchange has partnered with Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to help Texas homecare providers remain compliant with state and federal EVV laws. HHAeXchange is the only state-funded EVV vendor. As part of this agreement, HHAeXchange’s Portal will be available at no cost to program providers, financial management services agencies (FMSAs), and Consumer Directed Services (CDS) employers. But with big changes like this one, come big questions. We have compiled some of the frequently asked questions Texas providers have been asking. Check them out below! 

Jump to the category you have questions about: 

Training/Implementation 

EVV Requirements 

Mobile App or Clocking In/Out 

Billing 

Alternative Devices 

Sending Visits to the Aggregator 

Support 

Questions About Training/Implementation 

What steps do I need to take to successfully begin implementing HHAeXchange? 

  1. All information regarding EVV compliance is published on the Texas EVV Vendor Information Center. As a provider in Texas, take the following steps: 
  2. Complete the HHAeXchange Provider Onboarding Form 
  3. Follow the directions outlined in your HHAeXchange Welcome Packet:
    -If you represent a Program ProviderClick Here  
    -If you represent a Financial Management Services AgencyClick Here 
  4. Complete your HHAeXchange Learning Management System (LMS) coursework or watch the System User Training webinar. Once this is completed, each user at your agency will need to complete a short test on system functionality and receive a certificate of completion. 
  5. Within 48 hours of passing the HHAeXchange LMS test, an email will be sent with login credentials for the HHAeXchange Portal. 
  6. Successfully log in to your EVV Provider Portal with HHAeXchange. 

View our Getting Ready Checklist for helpful step-by-step instructions on how to get up and running. 

Will members and authorizations be imported from my previous EVV system? 

HHAeXchange partnered with Vesta / Data Logic to import up to five years of historical member and authorization data. This data was processed into HHAeXchange and will be available for review once users are able to log in to your portal. 

Will the HHAeXchange system check my member’s eligibility? 

All member profiles will be validated against Texas Medicaid data once daily. Member profiles can also be validated through a real-time verification process. 

Do we have to enter in our service providers? 

Historical service provider data was transferred into the HHAeXchange system from Vesta / Data Logic and First Data/Authenticare. For any new service providers that need to be added, they can be either manually entered (Service provider > New Service provider), or by using the Service Provider Bulk Import. Go to the Texas EVV Vendor Information Center for more information. 

Where can I access Training Support and Resources for my agency and service providers? 

Once you have logged into your HHAeXchange Provider Portal, you will see the Support Center link (located on left side of the webpage). The Support Center tab holds all process guides, videos, and PDFs detailing the functionalities of our system. 

Questions About EVV Requirements 

What training is required of CDS Employees and CDS Employers? 

The HHAeXchange Consumer info-hub has interactive walkthroughs and videos for CDS employees and employers as well as an attestation upon completion. Click the Training tab to access the CDS training materials.   

I have questions on the services in scope. Who can I discuss this with? 

Services in scope are:  

Effective January 1, 2021, EVV is required for Medicaid personal care services.  

Effective January 1, 2024, EVV is required for Medicaid home health care services.   

Please contact HHSC with any questions at [email protected] 

If I have my own EVV solution, what steps do I need to complete to be ready for the EVV mandate? 

Application programming interfaces (APIs) can be used to exchange data between third-party software systems, such as payroll systems and electronic health record systems, and the HHAeXchange Portal.   

Program providers and financial management services agencies who want to integrate their third-party software systems with HHAeXchange can refer to the specifications listed in the HHAeXchange Web Service API Guide (PDF)

The Service provider clocked OUT instead of clocking IN. Can this be corrected? 

If the Service provider accidentally recorded an IN call as an OUT call (or vice versa), this can be corrected as listed below:  

1. Navigate to Visit > Call Dashboard > Call Maintenance.  

2. Search for the call using the status Potential In/Out Mistake.  

3. When the call is located, click the desired link (Out or In) under the “Call Type” field.  

4. Click the OK button to confirm the action.   

How can EVV be performed? 

EVV can be performed for CDS employees the same as described previously. There are three options: 

Mobile Application   

  • Employees use the HHAeXchange+ mobile app to clock in and clock out and record duties.  

Telephone (Landline)  

  • Each agency will be assigned a unique toll-free number that CDS employees can call from the member’s home phone (landline) to clock in and clock out.  

Alternative Device (AD) 

Questions About the Mobile App or Clocking In/Out 

What happens if you schedule a visit, and the service provider does not make it there on time for whatever reason? Do we manually adjust? 

You can manually adjust the scheduled time if they clocked in or clocked out outside of the scheduled time window. 

Will the service provider have to clock in and out for multiple services? 

If a service provider is providing multiple services for a member on a single date of service (DOS), service providers would clock in and out for one service and then would need to clock in and out for the other service. 

If there is an employee who is not computer or tech savvy, are they allowed to use another method to clock in/out? 

There are three options for EVV data collection. The mobile app is the preferred method. If the mobile app cannot be used, the member may authorize the service provider to use their home phone land line to clock in and out using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephony. The third option is utilizing an alternative device. 

What mobile application should the service provider download? 

Service providers can navigate to the app store on their mobile device and search for “HHAeXchange+”.  This will return the search result for the HHAeXchange+ mobile application. In the description of this application, it is specified that it should be used for service providers in the state of Texas. 

How close does my service provider need to be to the member’s home when clocking in or out using the mobile application? 

HHSC policy requires service providers to be within 250 feet of the member’s home for a GPS clock in or out to register with that member’s profile. 

What if the service provider does not have Wi-Fi connection or cellular service coverage? 

The initial setup of the mobile application must be completed in an area with connection (i.e., Wi-Fi, cellular data network, etc.).  Once completed, service providers can turn on Offline mode. With this feature enabled, service providers can clock in and out successfully while offline.    

When utilizing Offline mode, the clocks will then be loaded successfully once they get back in range for cellular connection or Wi-Fi. 

Questions About Billing 

Is Billing through HHAeXchange required? 

Billing through HHAeXchange is optional. 

Is Prebilling only applicable if I am Billing through HHAeXchange? 

Prebilling is applicable to all users, whether you are billing through HHAeXchange or not. 

Is billing included in the free version of HHAeXchange?   

Yes, billing is available in the HHAeXchange free version, HHAeXchange+. 

What are the requirements to do Billing through HHAeXchange if we decide to do so? 

Billing through HHAeXchange is optional but if you would like to bill via HHAeXchange, please review the Billing course in your HHAeXchange learning management system (LMS) for additional information. The HHAeXchange LMS covers all requirements to complete the billing process.  

Questions About Alternative Devices 

When can we receive our token or alternative devices? 

Alternative devices will be provided in accordance with HHSC policy, issuing alternative devices for 7.5% of each agency’s census. Please refer to the “alternative devices” section of the HHAeXchange Texas State Info Hub for more information on ordering alternative devices. 

Where can I order alternative devices? 

You can order devices now on the HHAeXchange website. Please refer to the “Alternative Devices” section of the HHAeXchange Texas State Info Hub for more information on ordering alternative devices. 

What if I want more alternative devices above the 7.5% threshold? 

If you need to request additional devices above the 7.5% threshold, HHSC is allowing the purchase of alternative devices for qualifying members at $12.00 (price includes shipping) each plus applicable sales tax. Please refer to the “Alternative Devices” section of the HHAeXchange Texas State Info Hub for more information on ordering alternative devices. 

Once an order for an alternative device has been submitted, how long will it take to receive the device? 

Devices will be shipped within five days of the order. Delivery is based upon ground shipping times.  

Questions About Sending Visits to the Aggregator 

How do I check the status of my visits being sent to the aggregator? 

The aggregation transaction manager is in the Admin drop-down (select “EVV Aggregation Transaction Manager”). Here the system will list all visits that have been submitted for aggregation and whether the visit was accepted.   

If corrections are needed on the visit for it to be accepted, that will be specified in this report for review and updating as needed. Visits can be resubmitted for acceptance after corrections are completed.   

All visits should be in an ‘accepted’ status prior to billing. 

How often are visits sent to the aggregator? 

HHAeXchange submits visits to the aggregator upon submission by the agency.  All visits should be submitted to the aggregator prior to billing. 

Questions About Support 

Where can I get support? 

For questions or help with HHAeXchange, please contact the Client Support Team:  

Visit your Texas EVV Provider Information Center to access all information related to this implementation. 

Will the HHAeXchange Support Desk be available 24 hours? 

The HHAeXchange Texas Support Desk operates from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM CT, Monday through Friday and 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT Saturday and Sunday. If a request is submitted or a call is placed outside of these hours, it will be addressed on the following day. 

For more in-depth information about the transition and other Texas related questions, please visit the Texas EVV Provider Information Center