,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccje  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #h1 
#bjaf,mr4 ,grassley introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to require   
the use of electronic visit verification
 systems for home health services under 
the ,medicare program4  #a4 ,short title
 ,this ,act may be cited as the         
,verifying ,electronically the ,receipt 
of ,in-,home ,care ,for ,individuals    
,act or the ,,verifi ,act4  #b4         
,requirement that ,medicare home health 
agencies have in place an electronic    
visit verification system  7a7          
,condition of participation ,section    
#ahia7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;bbb7a77 is amended 
by adding at the end the following new  
paragraph3  7#g7 7,a7 ,in the case of   
home health services furnished on or    
after ,january #a1 #bjai1 the agency has

 in place an electronic visit           
verification system that meets standards
 established by the ,secretary4  7,b7   
,in this paragraph1 the term electronic 
visit verification system means a system
 under which visits conducted as part of
 home health services furnished by a    
home health agency are electronically   
verified by the agency with respect to--
  7i7 the type of service performed2    
7ii7 the individual receiving the       
service2  7iii7 the date of the service2
  7iv7 the location of the service is   
furnished2  7v7 the individual          
furnishing the service2 and  7vi7 the   
time the service begins and ends4  7,c7 
,by not later than ,july #a1 #bjah1 the 
,secretary shall establish standards for
 electronic visit verification systems4 
,in establishing such standards1 the    
,secretary shall consult with home      
health agencies to ensure that such     
standards--  7i7 are minimally          
burdensome2  7ii7 take into account     
existing best practices and electronic  

visit verification systems in use2 and  
7iii7 require that the systems are      
conducted in accordance with the        
requirements of ,,hipaa privacy and     
security law 7as defined in section     
#cjji of the ,public ,health ,service   
,act74  4  7b7 ,rules of construction   
7#a7 ,no employer-employee relationship 
established ,nothing in the amendment   
made by this section may be construed as
 establishing an employer-employee      
relationship between the home health    
agency and the individuals who1 under a 
contract with such an agency1 furnish   
such services for purposes of part #eeb 
of title #bi1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulations74  7#b7 ,no particular or   
uniform electronic visit verification   
system required ,nothing in the         
amendment made by this section shall be 
construed to require the use of a       
particular or uniform electronic visit  
verification system 7as defined in      
paragraph 7#g77;,b7 of section #ahia7;a7

 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;bbb7a771 as added by    
subsection 7a77 by all agencies that    
furnish home health services under title
 ,,xviii of such ,act4  7#c7 ,no limits 
on provision of care ,nothing in the    
amendment made by this section may be   
construed to limit1 with respect to home
 health services furnished under title  
,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act1  
provider selection1 constrain           
beneficiaries' selection of a caregiver1
 or impede the manner in which care is  
furnished4