Massachusetts home health and home care agencies required to use Electronic Visit Verification have an important choice to make: use the state-sponsored Sandata EVV system or use an alternate EVV system that fits their existing workflow.
MassHealth does not require every agency to use the same EVV software.
Massachusetts operates what the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) calls an open EVV model. Agency-based providers can use the state-sponsored Sandata system or an approved alternate EVV, commonly called Alt-EVV, as long as the required visit information reaches the Massachusetts EVV data aggregator correctly.
That flexibility is useful, but it also creates another decision for agency owners and administrators.
Which approach makes the most sense for your agency?
The answer depends on more than compliance. Caregiver adoption, existing technology, administrative workload, data accuracy, reporting, and how easily EVV fits into the agency's daily operations should all be considered.
This guide explains the difference between Sandata and alternate EVV systems in Massachusetts and what agencies should evaluate before choosing either approach.
For a broader overview of the state's requirements, including covered providers, required visit information, and compliance considerations, read our 2026 Massachusetts EVV Compliance Guide.
How Massachusetts EVV Works
Electronic Visit Verification is required under Section 12006 of the federal 21st Century Cures Act for Medicaid-funded personal care services and home health services that require an in-home visit.
Massachusetts implements those requirements through MassHealth and EOHHS.
For agency-based providers, Massachusetts uses an open EVV model. That means an agency generally has two options:
1. Use the state-sponsored Sandata EVV system.
2. Use its own alternate EVV system and transmit the required EVV information to the state's data aggregator.
MassHealth identifies Sandata Technologies as both the state's EVV vendor for agency-based services and its EVV data aggregator.
The distinction between those two functions is important.
An EVV system is the technology used to capture and manage information about a visit. The EVV data aggregator is the centralized system that receives EVV information.
An agency can therefore use software other than Sandata to capture visits while still sending the required information into Massachusetts' EVV infrastructure.
What Is the Massachusetts Sandata EVV System?
Sandata is the vendor Massachusetts selected to provide its state-sponsored EVV system for agency-based services. MassHealth launched the agency-based Sandata system on September 30, 2024.
For agencies that choose this option, Sandata provides the EVV functionality needed to record and manage covered visits and submit that information into the state's EVV environment.
According to MassHealth, Sandata's EVV system allows providers to view, monitor, schedule, and edit EVV visits.
One important limitation for agencies evaluating their overall technology stack is that MassHealth states that the Sandata EVV system does not provide billing or payroll functionality.
For some agencies, that may not matter. They may already have separate systems for those functions. For others, it means EVV becomes another system that must fit alongside the software already being used for scheduling, payroll, billing, clinical documentation, and agency management.
What Is an Alternate EVV System?
An alternate EVV system is a provider-selected EVV solution used instead of the state's Sandata interface for capturing visits. Massachusetts refers to these systems as Alt-EVV systems.
Under the state's open model, an agency can use its own EVV platform as long as the required information is transmitted to the Massachusetts EVV data aggregator according to the state's technical requirements.
Using an alternate EVV system does not remove the agency from Massachusetts EVV requirements. It simply changes the technology the agency uses to satisfy those requirements.
The same federally required visit information must still be captured and transmitted. For agencies that already have established technology and workflows, an alternate EVV system may provide greater flexibility because EVV can potentially fit alongside the systems employees already use.
Sandata vs. Alternate EVV: What's the Difference?
Both approaches can satisfy Massachusetts EVV requirements when implemented correctly. The primary difference is how the agency captures and manages its EVV information before that information reaches the state's EVV infrastructure.
State-Sponsored Sandata:
• State-selected EVV software
• State-sponsored
• Designed for the Massachusetts program
• Uses Sandata's workflow
• Sends data to the state aggregator
• Billing and payroll are not included in the Sandata EVV system
Alternate EVV:
• Provider-selected EVV software
• Cost depends on the vendor
• Must satisfy Massachusetts requirements
• Workflow and integrations depend on the selected platform
• Must transmit required information to the Massachusetts data aggregator
• Alt-EVV registration, testing, and technical requirements apply
Neither option automatically guarantees compliance. The agency still needs accurate visit data, consistent caregiver use, proper configuration, and processes for identifying and correcting exceptions.
Don't Confuse Your EVV System With the Data Aggregator
Your EVV system and the Massachusetts EVV data aggregator are not necessarily the same thing.
Think of the EVV system as the point where visit information originates. A caregiver performs a covered service and the EVV technology captures information about that visit. The aggregator is where required EVV information is consolidated.
If your agency uses Sandata's state-sponsored EVV system, the process occurs within the state's selected Sandata environment. If your agency uses Alt-EVV, your chosen system must send the required information to the Massachusetts data aggregator according to the state's specifications.
That is why choosing Alt-EVV cannot be based solely on which application looks easiest for caregivers. The agency also needs to know whether the vendor can reliably meet Massachusetts' data-submission requirements.
What Information Must an Alternate EVV System Capture?
Choosing Alt-EVV does not change the underlying federal requirements. MassHealth states that an alternate EVV system must provide all six EVV elements required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:
1. The individual receiving the service
2. The individual providing the service
3. The specific service provided
4. The location where the service was delivered
5. The date of service
6. The beginning and end times of the service
These elements form the core of the EVV record regardless of which software an agency uses.
The real operational challenge is not simply collecting six fields. It is collecting them accurately and consistently across thousands of visits.
A missing checkout, incorrect caregiver identity, wrong service information, or inaccurate visit record can create an exception that requires administrative attention. That makes caregiver usability an important part of EVV compliance.
Where Does HHAeXchange Fit Into Massachusetts EVV?
HHAeXchange is another platform Massachusetts agencies may encounter when evaluating EVV technology. It should not, however, be confused with the state's primary EVV data aggregator.
MassHealth identifies Sandata as Massachusetts' EVV data aggregator for agency-based services. HHAeXchange documents that it has been certified to submit EVV data on behalf of Massachusetts providers delivering Personal Care Services and/or Home Health Care Services.
In this context, HHAeXchange can function as an Alt-EVV vendor whose visit information is submitted into Massachusetts' EVV environment.
This illustrates why understanding the state's open model matters. An agency does not necessarily have to use the state-sponsored EVV application to participate in Massachusetts EVV. But whichever system it chooses must be capable of satisfying the state's requirements for collecting and transmitting EVV information.
Is Sandata or Alternate EVV Better for Your Agency?
There is no universal answer. The better question is: Which approach allows your agency to maintain compliant EVV records with the least operational friction?
For some organizations, the state-sponsored system may be sufficient. For others, especially agencies with established operational systems or specific workflow requirements, Alt-EVV may provide advantages.
1. Caregiver Adoption
Your caregivers generate the underlying EVV information. If checking in and out is confusing, time-consuming, or unreliable, compliance problems can begin before the record ever reaches the office.
2. Existing Agency Workflow
Consider the systems your staff already uses for scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, payroll, caregiver management, reporting, and compliance. Adding EVV should not create unnecessary duplicate work.
3. Data Accuracy
Agencies should understand how the system handles incomplete visits, missing checkouts, incorrect information, exceptions, corrections, and other situations that inevitably occur in home-based care.
4. Massachusetts Compatibility
If you choose Alt-EVV, verify that the vendor understands Massachusetts' requirements and can satisfy the applicable technical specifications. Do not assume that a product marketed as EVV compliant automatically works with every state Medicaid program.
5. Administrative Workload
Every exception eventually lands somewhere. Someone may need to identify the problem, contact the caregiver, correct the record, document the reason for the correction, and make sure the information is successfully transmitted.
6. Reporting and Visibility
Administrators should be able to identify EVV problems before they become larger compliance or billing issues. Useful reporting can help agencies find frequent missed checkouts, caregivers generating repeated exceptions, location discrepancies, incomplete visit records, service-data inconsistencies, and visits requiring manual correction.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing an EVV System in Massachusetts
• Does the system capture all six federally required EVV data elements?
• Can it satisfy Massachusetts' applicable EVV requirements?
• If it is Alt-EVV, how does visit information reach the Massachusetts data aggregator?
• What registration or testing is required before going live?
• How easy is check-in and checkout for caregivers?
• What happens when a caregiver forgets to check out?
• How are exceptions identified and corrected?
• Can administrators quickly see incomplete or problematic visits?
• How does the system fit with existing scheduling, billing, payroll, and clinical workflows?
• What training will caregivers and office staff require?
• How much manual reconciliation will the system create?
• What reporting is available for compliance monitoring?
• How does the vendor handle Massachusetts-specific changes to EVV requirements?
The best EVV decision is rarely the system with the longest feature list. It is the system that can capture the required information accurately, transmit it correctly, and become a repeatable part of everyday agency operations.
Where MyVisits Fits
MyVisits is designed around a simple principle: visit verification should strengthen compliance without creating unnecessary complexity for caregivers or administrators.
The platform uses tools including unique QR codes and geolocation-based visit verification to create real-time records of service delivery.
For home care and home health organizations, the objective is straightforward: make it easier to establish a reliable record of who delivered the service, where the visit occurred, and when it happened.
That visit-level documentation can help organizations reduce dependence on manual processes and create greater visibility into field operations.
For agencies evaluating their Massachusetts EVV options, the important question is not simply whether another piece of software can be added to the technology stack. It is whether the EVV process can be made simpler for caregivers, more visible for administrators, and more reliable for compliance.
Learn more about the MyVisits Visit Verification System and Compliance and Fraud Prevention.
The Bottom Line
Massachusetts home health and home care agencies have flexibility in how they satisfy EVV requirements.
The Commonwealth's open model allows agency-based providers to use the state-sponsored Sandata EVV system or an alternate EVV system capable of providing the required visit information to the Massachusetts data aggregator.
The decision should go beyond asking: Which EVV system is compliant?
Agencies should also ask: Which EVV process will our caregivers actually follow correctly every day?
Compliance depends on what happens during individual visits. The easier it is to capture accurate information at the point of service, identify exceptions, and keep EVV records consistent, the easier it becomes to maintain a dependable verification process as the agency grows.
For the complete Massachusetts regulatory overview, read the Massachusetts 2026 EVV Compliance Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Massachusetts home care agencies have to use Sandata?
No. Massachusetts operates an open EVV model for agency-based providers. Providers can use the state-sponsored Sandata EVV system or their own Alt-EVV system, provided the required EVV information is transmitted to the state's data aggregator according to Massachusetts requirements.
What is Alt-EVV in Massachusetts?
Alt-EVV is the term EOHHS uses for an EVV system selected by the provider rather than the state-sponsored system. An Alt-EVV system must still capture the required EVV information and meet Massachusetts' applicable submission requirements.
Is Sandata the Massachusetts EVV data aggregator?
Yes. MassHealth identifies Sandata Technologies as the state's EVV vendor for agency-based services and the Massachusetts EVV data aggregator.
Can an agency use HHAeXchange for EVV in Massachusetts?
HHAeXchange states that it is certified to submit EVV data on behalf of Massachusetts providers rendering Personal Care Services and/or Home Health Care Services. Agencies considering it should verify their specific program, payer, configuration, and current Massachusetts requirements before implementation.
What information does Massachusetts EVV require?
Covered visits must contain six core elements: the member receiving the service, caregiver providing it, specific service, service location, date, and beginning and end times.
Does Sandata include billing and payroll?
MassHealth states that the Sandata EVV system allows providers to view, monitor, schedule, and edit EVV visits but does not provide billing or payroll functionality.
Is an alternate EVV system automatically compliant if it works in another state?
No. EVV programs and technical requirements differ between states. Massachusetts agencies should confirm that their selected vendor can meet current Massachusetts requirements and complete any necessary Alt-EVV registration, testing, and onboarding.
Official Sources and Further Reading
MassHealth — Electronic Visit Verification for Agency-Based Providers
MassHealth — Learn About Electronic Visit Verification
MassHealth — Agency-Based Providers and Services Required to Use EVV
MassHealth — EVV for Provider Organizations That Contract With MCOs and ACOs
