New York State Education Department (NYSED)
Preschool/School Supportive Health Services Program (SSHSP)
Medicaid in Education Units
Issue #12-07
| To: | All SSHSP Medicaid Providers |
| From: | NYS OHIP SSHSP & NYSED Medicaid in Education Units |
| Date: | July 31, 2012 |
| Subject: | Update on Certified Public Expenditures – Random Moment Time Study and Cost Reporting Processes |
Consistent with the New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) plan to implement a Certified Public Expenditures (CPE) reimbursement process for New York State’s School Supportive Health Services Program (SSHSP), this Medicaid Alert serves as an update to Medicaid Alert 12-05 regarding the Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) and Cost Reporting processes. DOH has contracted with Public Consulting Group (PCG) to oversee the RMTS and the Cost Reporting processes.
Random Moment Time Study
Quarterly random moment time studies will be used to determine the amount of time, on average, that school district, county, and §4201 school practitioners spend on providing Medicaid eligible direct services. The Random Moment Time Study is conducted for three quarters annually, as follows:
- October 1 - December 31
- January 1 - March 31
- April 1 - June 30
The time study is not administered during the summer quarter (July 1 - September 30). The summer quarter calculations are based on an average of the time study results from the other nine months of the fiscal year.
As occurred in the April 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012 quarter, each school district, county, and §4201 school Random Moment Time Study coordinator/assistant coordinator is responsible for submitting a quarterly roster of eligible service practitioners. A random sample of these practitioners is selected across the state for the time study. The results of the time study are essential to the cost settlement process.
What Information should be included on an RMTS Roster?
Each roster (in MS Excel format) should include the following information:
- School district/county/§4201 school name
- RMTS quarter
- RMTS coordinator/assistant coordinator name and e-mail address
- Last and first name of practitioner providing Medicaid-eligible IEP services
- Job title
- Practitioner e-mail address
- Practitioner work hours (if different than the “standard” 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday schedule)
Who should be included on Rosters and in the RMTS?
Employees of school districts, counties and §4201 schools with the following job titles who provide IEP services to Medicaid-eligible students should be included on the RMTS rosters:
- NYS Licensed Occupational Therapist
- NYS Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)*
- NYS Licensed Physical Therapist
- NYS Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA)*
- NYS Licensed Speech Language Pathologist
- NYS Certified Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD)*
- NYS Certified Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped (TSHH)*
- NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- NYS Licensed Master Social Worker*
- NYS Licensed Psychiatrist
- NYS Licensed Psychologist
- NYS Licensed Registered Nurse
- NYS Licensed Practical Nurse*
- NYS Licensed Physician
- NYS Licensed Nurse Practitioner
- NYS Licensed and ASHA certified Audiologist
Contracted practitioners, including independent contractors, those employed by independent agencies, and BOCES practitioners, are not to be included in the time study roster. A school district/county/§4201 school that ONLY hires contracted practitioners to deliver IEP services to Medicaid-eligible students is not required to submit an RMTS roster. A school district/county/§4201 school meeting this criterion must communicate this to PCG via e-mail. However, the costs for those contracted practitioners will still be included in the school district/county/§4201 school cost reports. For cost reporting purposes, school districts, counties, and §4201 schools will be required to complete a supplemental form identifying contracted practitioners with the following information:
- First and last name,
- NPI number, and
- If working “under the direction of” or “under the supervision of” a qualified practitioner, the first and last name and NPI # of the directing/supervising practitioner.
- Agency name
RMTS Roster Updates
To be included in the October 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012 RMTS, school districts, counties, and §4201 schools must submit their RMTS roster to PCG (in MS Excel format) by September 5, 2012.
- School districts, counties, and §4201 schools will have the opportunity to make a one-time adjustment to their roster through September 12, 2012.
While no official time study occurred during the October 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 period, school districts, counties, and §4201 schools must provide a comprehensive RMTS roster for this period so that costs for employees working during that time can be included in the cost report. If school districts, counties and §4201 schools have already or anticipate submitting claims for this time period, they must submit a roster or risk owing money.
- For those school districts, counties and §4201 schools that submitted a roster for the April 2012– June 2012 RMTS, that roster must be updated to include employees from the October 2011– March 2012 period.
- For those school districts, counties and §4201 schools that did not submit a roster for the April 2012 – June 2012 quarter, a roster must be developed for the October 2011 - June 2012 period.
- RMTS rosters for the October 2011 - June 2012 period are due no later than October 1, 2012.
Participation in the RMTS is a prerequisite to participate in the SSHSP for the July 2012 - June 2013 school year. If a school district, county, or §4201 school does not plan to participate in the SSHSP for the 2012 - 2013 school year, they must notify Public Consulting Group (PCG) and the New York State Education Department (SED) of their intention by September 5, 2012. If, during the 2012 - 2013 school year, a school district, county, or §4201 school reverses its decision to participate in the SSHSP, they should notify PCG/SED so that appropriate technical assistance can be provided.
Importance of the Time Study
To participate in the SSHSP interim billing and cost settlement process, school districts, counties, and §4201 schools must participate in the RMTS. Participation includes:
- Designating RMTS coordinators and assistant coordinators to submit quarterly rosters of employees who render IEP services to students in the SSHSP, and
- Employees (practitioners) completing RMTS moments if/when they are randomly selected to do so.
Participation in the RMTS by practitioners is critical. The results of the time study will have a direct impact on reimbursement through the cost settlement process. The expectation is to have at least an 85 percent statewide response rate to ensure the cost settlement process determines the appropriate level of Medicaid reimbursement. A response rate of less than 85 percent will negatively impact cost settlement.
Additional information the RMTS process can be accessed at NYS Medicaid in Education/CPEs or by contacting PCG.
RMTS Training
Training on the RMTS process is mandatory for all designated school district/county/§4201 school RMTS coordinators and will be conducted by PCG online via WebEx. Coordinators must attend one of the below scheduled training sessions even if they already attended a previous RMTS training session. RMTS coordinators are responsible for notifying all RMTS participants (assistant coordinators and practitioners) of the RMTS process and providing instruction and training materials to participants.
| Week of | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 9/3/12-9/7/12 | 1:00pm–2:00pm | 9:00am–10:00am | |||
| 9/10/12-9/14/12 | 9:00am–10:00am 1:00pm–2:00pm |
1:00pm–2:00pm 3:00pm–4:00pm |
9:00am–10:00am 3:00pm–4:00pm |
Additional information regarding how to access one of these RMTS training sessions will be sent to all coordinators prior to the first scheduled training and will be posted on the NYS Medicaid-in-Education CPEs website.
Cost Reporting
School districts, counties and §4201 schools billing for Medicaid services under the SSHSP will be required to participate in an annual cost reporting process. The cost report will be used in conjunction with the RMTS in the SSHSP cost settlement process. A cost report is a web-based software application that demonstrates the school district’s/county’s/§4201 school’s cost of providing IEP services to Medicaid-eligible students. The school district/county/§4201 school business office is responsible for completing the annual cost report. The first cost reporting period will be for the October 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012 time period. Future cost reporting periods will be on a July – June basis.
Access to the Web-Based Medicaid Cost Reporting and Claiming System (MCRCS)
School districts, counties, and §4201 schools will receive log-in credentials to complete cost reports in the web-based Medicaid Cost Reporting and Claiming System (MCRCS). PCG will obtain the list of individuals who will access the system during the upcoming cost reporting training sessions. Those persons who utilize the web-based training can contact PCG through the hotline (1-866-912-2974) or via e-mail to submit their credentials. Those persons attending an in-person cost reporting training session will provide their credentials upon sign-in. Anyone who will be working in the MCRCS system should attend either an in-person or online training. The three levels of access into the MCRCS are as follows:
- Administrator: The Administrator is required to “manage” the school district/county/§4201 school contacts (web-based system users), and is the only level with the ability to certify costs (CEO, CFO or Superintendent). Administrator access also includes that of the report editor and can add, delete or edit information in the MCRCS prior to certification.
- Report Editor: The Report Editor can add, delete, or edit information in the MCRCS prior to certification by the Administrator.
- Report Viewer: The Report Viewer can only view information in the MCRCS and cannot add, delete, or edit information.
Cost Reporting Deadline
School districts, counties, and §4201 schools are required to submit annual July - June cost reports via MCRCS no later than December 31st of each year. The first cost report will encompass the October 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012 year and is due no later than December 31, 2012.
Cost Reporting Training
Training on the annual cost reporting process, including MCRCS, is available and will be conducted by PCG both in-person and online. Business officials and those responsible for completing the cost report are required to attend either an online or in-person training session. RMTS coordinators/assistant coordinators are invited to attend, but are not required to attend.
The in-person cost reporting training is provided in cooperation with the New York State Association of School Business Officials (NYSASBO). The schedule is as follows:
| Date | Location |
| August 20, 2012 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES Adirondack Education Center, Saranac Lake, NY Conference Room |
| August 23, 2012 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Western Suffolk BOCES Division of Instructional Services Large Conference Room 31 Lee Ave. Wheatly Heights, NY |
| August 24, 2012 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES School Services Building West Conference Room 200 BOCES Drive Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 |
| August 27, 2012 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Capital Region BOCES Administrative Offices Albany/Schenectady/Shaker Rm. 900 Watervliet-Shaker Road Albany NY |
August 29, 2012 9:00am–12:00pm 1:00 pm–4:00 pm |
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Conference Room 1879 West Genesee Street Road Auburn, NY 13021 |
| August 30, 2012 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
Erie I BOCES Education Campus Room A2 355 Harlem Rd West Seneca, NY 14224 |
Pre-registration for these in-person training sessions is required. Space is limited. To register for one of the 3 hour sessions, please complete the online registration form.
Registration questions should be directed to Steven Van Hoesen at 518-434-2281.
The online (WebEx) cost reporting training schedule is as follows:
| Week of | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 9/3/12-9/7/12 | 9:00am– 12:00pm |
1:00pm– 4:00pm |
|||
| 9/10/12-9/14/12 | 9:00am– 12:00pm 1:00pm– 4:00pm |
9:00am– 12:00pm |
1:00 pm– 4:00pm |
||
| 9/17/12-9/21/12 | 9:00am– 12:00pm 1:00pm– 4:00pm |
9:00am– 12:00pm 1:00pm– 4:00pm |
|||
| 9/24/12-9/28/12 | 9:00am– 12:00pm 1:00pm– 4:00pm |
9:00am– 12:00pm 1:00pm– 4:00pm |
Additional information regarding accessing WebEx cost reporting training will be provided in advance of the trainings.
Dates to Remember
| Action | Date |
| RMTS rosters due to PCG for October 2012– December 2012 quarter | September 5, 2012 |
| Notify PCG and SED if not participating in billing for SSHSP in the 2012-13 school year | September 5, 2012 |
| One-time adjustment for October 2012 – December 2012 roster | September 12, 2012 |
| RMTS rosters for the period October 2011 - June 2012 due to PCG | October 1, 2012 |
| Cost reports due for the October 2011 – June 30, 2012 period | December 31, 2012 |
*OTAs are eligible under the direction of an Occupational Therapist; PTAs are eligible under the direction of a Physical Therapist; TSSLDs and TSHHs are eligible under the direction of a Speech-Language Pathologist; LMSWs are eligible under the supervision of a LCSW, psychiatrist, or psychologist; LPNs are eligible under the direction of a Licensed RN, or other licensed health care provider authorized under the Nurse Practice Act.