THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Special Education Program Services and Reimbursement Bureau: Thomas Hamel, Chief
Medicaid Services Unit
http://www.stacnt.nysed.gov/medicaid/services.htm
Room 304 EB
Phone: (518) 474-3227 FAX: (518) 486-3606
|
January 2002 |
|
|
To: |
Superintendents of Public School Districts Directors of Special Education School District Business Officials County Executives County Contacts for Preschool Services Central New York Regional Information Center Medicaid Contacts - Regional Information Centers |
|
From: |
Robert J. Scalise, Coordinator - Medicaid Unit |
|
Subject: |
Medicaid Reimbursement for Special Transportation |
This memorandum provides information as to the specific documentation required when a school claims Medicaid reimbursement for special transportation provided to preschool and school-age students with disabilities. All special transportation arrangements recommended by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) and identified on the students' individualized education program (IEP) are eligible for Medicaid funding. Since there is no mandate for regular transportation for preschool children, any transportation required by a preschool child with a disability and indicated on his or her IEP is considered special transportation and eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.
Transportation for all students is mandated pursuant to Section 3635 of the Education Law. Transportation as a special education service is provided when a student requires specialized transportation equipment, supports or services because of his/her disability [34 CFR 300.24(b)(15)]. In determining whether to include special transportation on a student's IEP, the CSE and the CPSE must consider how the student's disability affects the student's need for transportation. For a preschool child, the CPSE must also consider the site at which special education services will be provided to the child if that site is different from the site at which the child receives other preschool or daycare services. The process to recommend special transportation should include:
 |
Determining if the student's disability prevents the student from accessing the same transportation provided to non-disabled students or from getting to school in the same manner as non-disabled students; |
|
Determining if a preschool child will be receiving special education services at a site other than his or her preschool or daycare services; and |
|
Documenting specific recommendations on the IEP as to the specialized equipment, supports or services a student needs to travel to and from or between schools. |
Claims for Medicaid reimbursement for special transportation must include the following documentation:
|
Special transportation must be indicated on the student's IEP; |
|
Provider attendance sheets for the Medicaid covered service other than the transportation must be on file; and |
|
School bus rosters must be available. The bus rosters should include the name of the child transported, when and where the child is being picked up and the type of special transportation required. (Please notify your transportation department that these rosters are necessary documentation for the claiming of Medicaid services and must be retained for six years from the date services were paid.) |
School Districts under the School Supportive Health Services Program (SSHSP) may claim Special Transportation under Code # 5496 retroactively to July 1, 1999. Special Transportation services greater the two years old must be claimed by June 30, 2002.
Counties under the Preschool Supportive Health Services Program (PSHSP) have been claiming transportation and may begin claiming Special Transportation at the revised rate, effective June 1, 2001, using Code #5327, the code they have always used.
NOTE: Handbook #5, page 18 will be modified to clarify which type of transportation provided to school age students with disabilities by Public School Districts to programs operated at Boards Of Cooperative Educational Services would be considered Special Transportation. The definition of Special Transportation to the BOCES from the Public School District is the same as described above.
If you have any questions regarding the above please contact one of the following:
Robert J. Scalise 518: 474-3227 rscalise@mail.nysed.gov
Lorraine Illenberg 518: 474-3227 lillenbe@mail.nysed.gov
Michael Albino 518: 473-9050 mca03@health.state.ny.us
| CC: |
|