HHSC to Reduce Use of Alternative Devices for EVV Clock In and Clock Out

Date: October 7, 2025

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

Effective date: September 1, 2025

Call to action: To improve the integrity of the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) program, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is reducing the use of alternative devices as an approved method for service providers to use to clock in and clock out when delivering EVV-required services.

This project is rolling out in phases effective September 1, 2025, and ending September 1, 2028. By that date, program providers and Consumer Directed Services (CDS) employers must limit visit transactions made with an alternative device to no more than 5% of their total visit transactions.

Targets for Alternative Device Usage

To support a smooth transition, HHSC has established a phased implementation timeline. The following table outlines the allowable percentage of alternative device visit transactions during each phase:

Note: Review periods are based on quarters of the state fiscal year. Each new fiscal year begins on September 1.

Updates to EVV Portal Reports

On November 1, 2025, the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) will update the EVV Usage Report and the EVV CDS Employer Usage Report in the EVV Portal. The update will introduce new fields that show:

• The percentage of visits where service providers used an alternative device to clock in and clock out compared to other approved methods.
• The total number of visit transactions that were completed using alternative devices.

Program providers are responsible for assisting service providers, and CDS employers must support CDS employees as they transition to other approved clock in and clock out methods—such as the mobile method or the landline phone method—to help reduce the use of alternative devices.

Using the Reports

Payers will use the updated reports during Alternative Device Usage Compliance Reviews.

Program providers will use the updated EVV Usage Report to monitor adherence to the new limits on the use of alternative devices.

Financial management services agencies (FMSAs) can run the EVV CDS Employer Usage Report and share it with Option 2 and Option 3 CDS employers, if requested, to help them track compliance with the updated usage limits. 

Resources

• HHSC EVV Alternative Device Limitation Policies (PDF)
• HHSC EVV web page
• TMHP EVV web page

Next step 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: www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/provideralerts.