My caregiver stayed longer than the schedule. Can I bill the extra time and do I have to pay it?
You must pay a caregiver for time actually worked. Billing is a separate question: you can only bill within the authorized units. In Georgia’s EVV system, an administrator can adjust a visit’s time with a reason code and a note, and EVV does not change the state’s rules on authorized units or overtime.
Two different questions are mixed together here: pay and billing.
Pay: wage law looks at the time the person worked. If the caregiver stayed, that time is work time, and it counts toward overtime. Check this with the Department of Labor or an employment lawyer if you are unsure.
Billing: Medicaid pays within the authorized units. CMS lists billing more units than the plan allows as a common error. So extra time may be unpaid by Medicaid even though you owe the wages.
What Georgia’s EVV FAQ says about longer visits:
- The administrator can adjust the scheduled time in the EVV portal.
- A reason code and a note are required.
- EVV does not change DCH processes or policies on authorized units or overtime pay.
What to do:
- Ask why the visit ran long. If the client needs more hours, ask the case manager or care coordinator about a change in the plan.
- Record the real times, not guessed ones.
- Do not edit a visit to make it look like it fit the schedule.
Good notes protect you in an audit.
Sources
- Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Provider-Related FAQs · Georgia DCH
- HCBS Common Errors: Improper Payment Fact Sheet · CMS
- Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service; Final Rule (Federal Register, Oct 1, 2013) · U.S. Department of Labor (Federal Register)
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
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