HJAR Sep/Oct 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2022 43 providers are waiting for the state to formally announce the MMIS cutoff, which will mean that they will have to use the EVV system. Due to the AuthentiCare payment issues, the state has allowed providers to submit PCS claims directly to the MMIS instead of us- ing the EVV system. However, that flexibility will end soon. The EVV system is a federally mandated system, and providers will have to begin using it later this year. The state will communicate specific timelines directly with providers. Despite the issues experienced by some providers, several others have found the EVV system to be very user-friendly and a great benefit both to their direct care staff and their overall operations. FirstLight Home Care in northwest Arkansas is one such provider. They provide an array of in-home services, including companion care, personal care, de- mentia care, respite care, and a travel com- panion program. Raelene and Keith Plummer are the own- ers of FirstLight Home Care, and Raelene tells us that they have had great success working within the EVV system. They chose to use a third-party vendor that connects with the AuthentiCare EVV aggregator. They’ve been consistently using the EVV system since July 2021. Despite some growing pains getting the new system in place, things have been very smooth. “Once everything got set up, the system has worked really well,”Raelene said. “We’ve been paid timely, which is really important, of course. And if we have any questions or need any support, everyone has been extremely quick to reply.” There have been some bumps in the road as the system has rolled out, but Raelene Keith Metz Office of Communications and Community Engagement Arkansas Department of Human Services shared that they’ve been minor and easily addressed. “When the system first rolled out, we had conference calls with DHS staff, their part- ners, and several of the vendors multiple times a week to walk through issues and con- cerns,” she said. “Those calls were a real key to the success of the system, in my opinion. We still have weekly calls where providers can share experiences with the system and ask questions. It’s been great to feel like we always have somebody to talk to.” Raelene and Keith have some advice for providers who are hesitant to buy in to the new EVV system — embrace it. “It’s really seamless once everything is set up, and it’s made life so much easier for us and for our caregivers,” noted Raelene. If you have any questions about the EVV system or its use, please contact the EVV Call Center at 833-916-1093. Call center hours are Monday through Fri- day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also visit the DHS website for more info on EVV by going to http://humanservices. arkansas.gov/u/evv. n Keith Metz has spent 24 years working with Arkan- sas DHS as both a contractor and a state employee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English fromHendrix College and amaster’s degree in English from the Uni- versity of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After serving as a data analyst and quality assurance evaluator with the Division of Children and Family Services, he joined the DHS Office of Communications and Community Engagement,where he now leads theMedicaid com- munications team and also serves as interim deputy chief of communications. He and his wife Missi (and Emma,their BostonTerrier) are proud residents of the Argenta neighborhood in North Little Rock.