Georgia EVV for Family Caregivers:What It Is and How It Works

Georgia EVV (Electronic Visit Verification) is the system Georgia Medicaid uses to confirm that in-home care visits really happened, by recording who gave care, to whom, where and when. Caregivers usually check in and out on a phone app called Mobile Caregiver+. The rule comes from a federal law, the 21st Century Cures Act.

EVV mainly applies to hourly in-home services, such as Personal Support Services (PSS) through EDWP. Structured Family Caregiving (SFC) works differently, because the caregiver lives with the person. Georgia's EVV guidance has listed SFC as not affected, but in 2026 the state proposed adding EVV to SFC.

This guide explains what EVV records, who must use it, how a check-in works, and what SFC families should ask their provider.

Georgia EVV at a glance

• What it is: an electronic record of each in-home care visit.
• Why it exists: Section 12006 of the federal 21st Century Cures Act requires it for Medicaid personal care and home health visits.
• Who runs it: the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), using Netsmart's Mobile Caregiver+.
• Who must use it: workers giving Personal Support Services in EDWP and other Georgia waivers. Home health EVV is rolling out in 2026.
• SFC: listed as not affected in Georgia's EVV FAQs. A 2026 DCH proposal would add it. Ask your provider what applies now.
• No smartphone? A landline phone option exists, with approval.

Who has to use EVV in Georgia?

Georgia's EVV covers in-home personal care. DCH's provider FAQs list Personal Support Services, Extended Personal Support and Consumer Directed PSS under SOURCE and CCSP. The same services in other Georgia waivers, such as NOW, COMP, ICWP and GAPP, are also covered.

Home health care is next. DCH's EVV page says implementation for home health providers will begin soon, and it held town halls for home health agencies in July 2026.

Many EDWP services do not use EVV. Georgia's EVV FAQs list these as not affected under SOURCE and CCSP:

• Adult Day Health
• Alternative Living Services
• Emergency Response Services
• Home-Delivered Meals
• Home-Delivered Services
• Out-of-Home Respite
• Structured Family Caregiving

If your loved one gets PSS, they must take part in EVV. The member FAQ says services will stop if a member refuses to participate.

Does EVV apply to Structured Family Caregiving?

This is the question SFC families ask most. The honest answer has three parts, and the last one is still changing.

What the federal rule says

Federal EVV rules are written for in-home visits. A 2019 CMS bulletin says EVV requirements do not apply when the caregiver and beneficiary live together. States may still choose to use EVV for live-in care.

What Georgia's EVV guidance says

Georgia's member EVV FAQs and provider FAQs list Structured Family Caregiving among the services not affected by EVV. SFC is paid as a daily service, not by the hour. DCH's 2018 notice that added SFC described a different kind of oversight. The provider reviews daily notes submitted by the caregiver, and a health coach supports the family.

What changed in 2026

In April 2026, DCH named SFC a high-risk service category. It proposed new SFC policies effective September 1, 2026. These include compliance with Electronic Visit Verification, caregiver certification, background checks, and registered nurse signoff on daily notes.

DCH said full details would go to providers as banner messages once final decisions are made. We could not find a published final decision. So the safest step is to ask your SFC provider what is required of you today.

What does EVV record?

Georgia's EVV FAQs say the system tracks six points of data for each visit.

1. Who receives the service
2. Who provides the service
3. What type of service is performed
4. Where the service happens
5. The date of the service
6. The time the service begins and ends

Medicaid uses this record to confirm that each visit happened.

How does an EVV check-in work?

Most caregivers use the Mobile Caregiver+ app on a smartphone. The provider FAQs say the app only needs to be opened to check in and check out. It does not need to stay open during the visit.

1. 1

   Log in

   The caregiver signs in with a username and password. A PIN, thumbprint or face login can be set up.

2. 2

   Check in

   At the start of the visit, the caregiver checks in. The app records the time and location.

3. 3

   Give care

   The caregiver provides the care in the plan. The app can stay closed.

4. 4

   Check out

   At the end, the caregiver checks out and picks the service given.

5. 5

   Member confirms

   The member or a family caregiver may be asked to confirm the visit. If they cannot, the caregiver records the reason.

Does EVV track my family's location all day?

No. Georgia's FAQs say the state system uses location tracking only at check-in and check-out. It does not continuously track the member, the aide or the agency.

What if there is no signal?

The provider FAQs say check-in and check-out still work offline. The data is stored on the device and sent once the connection returns.

What if the caregiver has no smartphone?

Georgia offers a landline phone option, called IVR. The caregiver calls in from the member's home phone. The IVR page explains that the landline number and address must match the member's Medicaid records.

The phone option needs approval. It is meant for cases where no device is available, there is a documented medical reason, or there is a religious objection to the technology. The agency or the participant asks for it using a DCH form. Key fobs and fixed devices are no longer offered in Georgia.

What happens if a check-in is missed?

Mistakes happen. A caregiver may forget to check out or the app may fail. The provider FAQs say an agency administrator can correct the visit in the system. Each change needs a reason code, and the system keeps a record of the change.

• Tell your agency the same day if a check-in or check-out is missed.
• Write down the real start and end times.
• Ask the agency to confirm the visit was corrected.
• Report a problem that keeps happening, such as the app not loading.

If the problem is not solved, members and families can ask their agency first. They can also email the DCH EVV team at evv.medicaid@dch.ga.gov, as the member one-pager explains. Providers use EVV Customer Support at 833-483-5587.

How A1-GA Healthcare Agency helps

A1-GA Healthcare Agency is a Georgia DCH-approved Medicaid home care provider in Norcross. We have provided in-home care since 2008 and staffed caregivers since 2004. We deliver EDWP services and Structured Family Caregiving across metro Atlanta.

We tell our caregivers and families what documentation each service needs, including any EVV steps. When DCH sends final guidance, we explain what changes and help caregivers get set up. New to SFC? Start with our SFC guide, then see how to apply.

• Call: 678-446-1832
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Email: info@gahac.com
• Check eligibility: Start the short eligibility form