Caregiving
Sandata EVV for Ohio Families: What the App Does (and What It Does Not Track)
The short answer
Sandata EVV is the Electronic Visit Verification system Ohio Medicaid uses to confirm that home-care visits happened. The caregiver opens the app at the start and end of each visit, which logs the location and time. EVV is required under federal law (the 21st Century Cures Act). It does not record audio, video, or what the caregiver does between clock-in and clock-out. The participant's location is captured only at clock-in and clock-out, not continuously.
What to remember
- Sandata is the state-contracted EVV vendor in Ohio.
- The app captures clock-in time, clock-out time, GPS location, and service code.
- No audio, no video, no continuous tracking.
- Required by the federal 21st Century Cures Act.
Why EVV exists
The 21st Century Cures Act (passed federally in 2016) required all states to implement Electronic Visit Verification for Medicaid personal care and home health services. The goal was to confirm that visits billed to Medicaid actually happened.
Ohio chose Sandata as the state-aggregated EVV vendor, although some agencies use alternate EVV systems that feed into Sandata. The end result is the same: an electronic record of each visit start and end.
What the app captures
Caregiver identity (logged in user).
Start time and end time of the visit.
GPS location at the start and end of the visit. This confirms the caregiver was at the participant's address, not somewhere else.
Service code (what was supposed to be provided).
Optional notes the caregiver enters.
A confirmation step from the participant or family at the end of the visit.
What the app does not capture
It does not record audio.
It does not record video.
It does not track location continuously. GPS is captured at clock-in and clock-out only.
It does not stream data to the state in real time. Visits are uploaded in batches.
It does not control what care actually happens. The plan of care, not the app, decides that.
What families need to do
Confirm visits at the end. The app asks the participant or a family member to confirm. That confirmation is part of the compliance record.
Tell the agency right away if a visit was missed, cut short, or extended. EVV records have to match what actually happened or the agency cannot bill correctly.
Do not let the caregiver clock in from somewhere other than the home. That is fraud and it puts the caregiver and the agency at risk.
What we tell Lucas County families
We tell families to think of EVV as a timecard, not a surveillance camera. It exists because federal law requires it, not because anyone is spying. If the system glitches and a visit does not upload, our office fixes it the next business day. Tell us right away when something looks off.
Frequently asked
Do I have to download anything?
No. The caregiver uses the EVV app on their phone. Some agencies offer a participant-facing app, but it is optional.
What if there is no cell signal at the home?
The app can store the clock-in and upload it later when signal returns. We have caregivers in rural Lucas County edges who rely on this all the time.
Can I see the visit log?
Yes. Ask your agency for the visit history. Most can email or print a report.
What happens if the caregiver forgets to clock in?
There is a manual visit entry process, but it requires supervisor review. Repeated missed clock-ins put the visit (and the billing) at risk.
Does EVV apply to private pay?
No. EVV is a Medicaid requirement. Private-pay clients are not required to use it, although some agencies use it for internal consistency.
Is the location data shared with anyone?
It is shared with the agency, the Medicaid managed care plan or waiver case manager, and the state EVV aggregator. It is not made public.
Sources we cite
Cite this page
Reliance Care coordinator team. (2026). Sandata EVV for Ohio Families: What the App Does (and What It Does Not Track). Reliance Care Solutions. https://www.reliancecaresolutions.com/resources/news/sandata-evv-ohio-families-what-the-app-does
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