September 2024

School Health Services Program News

Our newsletter is a Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) publication that provides information on the School Health Services (SHS) Program. The Colorado SHS Program is administered by HCPF in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). Providers participating in the program may receive federal matching funds for amounts spent in providing health services through the public schools to students who are receiving Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) benefits.

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Program Components

2024 Annual Training Recap and Highlights


Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s annual training, and for your participation and engagement during the training sessions. We hope that you made some connections, whether in-person or virtually, and learned some best practices for the different School Health Services (SHS) program areas. We look forward to a successful program year!


For those of you who were not able to attend parts of training, you can find the presentations and recorded webinars on the HCPF's website.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your program contacts below:

·        Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) and Quarterly Cost Reporting

·        Annual Cost Reporting

·        Health Care Policy and Financing

·        Colorado Department of Education (CDE)

·        SHS Stakeholders

Key Highlight



The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Guide was released on May 18, 2023. Currently, HCPF is evaluating the State Plan Amendment (SPA) to include mandatory changes. The CMS deadline and effective date for these changes is July 1, 2026. For more information on the guide, please visit: Delivering Services in School-Based Settings: A Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid Services and Administrative Claiming


As a friendly reminder, the SHS Program will operate according to current rules and regulations until CMS approves the changes.

Annual Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


Annual Cost Reporting FAQs


Q: To be reimbursed for transportation, does transportation need to occur on the same day the student receives a direct medical service per their IEP?


A: Yes. Transportation is reimbursed only on days when a direct medical service was provided and billed for pursuant to the student’s IEP.


Q: Can cell phones and stipends be reported on the annual cost report?


A: Cell phones and stipends are not allowable as these items are not directly tied to a direct medical service per a student’s medical plan of care. Because they are not allowable costs, they should be reported in the total costs and included in the non-allowable cost reporting field.


Program Compliance FAQs


Q: Does our district provide Public Consulting Group (PCG) parental consent forms for students selected for the comprehensive review?


A: No. CDE will contact your district regarding parental consents for the selected students in your Comprehensive Review data request.


Q: Where can I access the Program Compliance Trainings?


A: Program Compliance Trainings are located on the ‘Resources’ section of the PCG Claiming System homepage and can be accessed all year long.


Quarterly Cost Reporting FAQs


Q: How are my quarterly thresholds calculated?


A: PCG calculates thresholds for your district on an annual basis. If you anticipate pay increases for your staff members for the next fiscal year, please reach out to PCG with that information. We will work to incorporate that into your next calculated thresholds.


Q: If I put someone contracted on the salaried staff pool list, can I still report financials?


A: Yes, you can still report contracted costs for the individual. If within any quarter you put someone incorrectly as salaried or contracted, simply report all costs for the quarter using cash basis accounting as normal and update their information during the next open period.


Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) FAQs


Q: Can I make changes to the Staff Pool List (SPL) after a quarter has concluded?


A: No. The only time updates to your SPL can be made are prior to the start of a quarter when SPL are open and during a quarter when vacancies and direct replacements can be made.


Q: Why is the location option not appearing?


A: The locations feature was removed in the July – September 2024 (JS24) quarter. Please reference the slides in the annual and mid-year training for more details. Instead of the locations field, please use the free form description box to track locations for your district and SPL members.


Please note that many questions were asked about upcoming changes to the Colorado SHS program required by the CMS comprehensive guide. Until program changes have been finalized and approved by CMS, questions will be noted and incorporated into training sessions before those changes go into effect.

HCPF Updates

 CMS Comprehensive Guide


Thank you to all annual training participants who asked questions about the upcoming program changes required by the CMS Comprehensive Guide. Those questions help us understand concerns, address misunderstandings, and improve training resources.  The SHS program will operate according to the current program manual until changes are approved by CMS. For more information regarding the upcoming changes and timeline please review the CMS Comprehensive Guide or the HCPF portion of the annual training presentation.


SHS Program Stakeholders


In response to feedback received at the April 2024 stakeholder forum, stakeholders facilitated break out groups during virtual annual training sessions. Thank you to stakeholders for that increased annual training support and for your support throughout the year. Stakeholder contact, meeting information, and other resources are on the stakeholder program website and under the blue stakeholder banner on the main program website.

National Provider Identifier (NPI) Ordering, Prescribing and Referring (OPR) Claim Identifier Project

   

The NPI OPR project is now in the final stage of implementation. Starting with July 1, 2024, dates of service all physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech, language, and hearing services are required to have the individual provider’s NPI in the ordering, prescribing, and referring field. The NPI of the school district or Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is no longer valid. Services without a valid NPI OPR will be denied. Step by step instructions can be found in the NPI OPR guide and the HCPF portion of the annual training presentation. This is a CMS requirement for PT, OT, and SLPs to be included on your direct service staff pool list.

Office Hours


Monthly office hours have resumed for Fiscal Year 2024-25 and are open to all school district/Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) staff supporting the SHS program. Zoom registration information is included in the google calendar invite and is required before each meeting on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 pm.  Program-related questions may be asked during office hours or submitted in advance using the anonymous survey link included in the google calendar invite.

SHS Staff at your District/BOCES


Does your district/BOCES have new staff supporting the SHS program? Email HCPF_schoolhealthservices@state.co.us with their name, title, email address, and phone number so they are added to the HCPF contact list. This helps HCPF share important resources to relevant district/BOCES staff to promote understanding of program requirements.

National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME) Updates


Registration is now open for the 2024 NAME Conference, hosted in Denver Oct. 15-18! Click here to register, book your hotel, and learn more!

Colorado Department of Education Updates

Reimbursement Spending Report


The Reimbursement Spending Report to CDE will open on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and will remain open until Friday, February 28, 2025. This report will cover expenditures from Fiscal Year 2023-24. The report also includes support in the question-specific help boxes, with further details for completing the narrative portion, as well as other support resources.


  • Reimbursement Spending Report Guide Sheet: Prefill and update information for the Reimbursement Spending Report to CDE
  • Category Transition Document: Helps districts/BOCES categorize expenditures for the reimbursement report
  • Expenditure Allowability: Clarifies allowable expenditures for Medicaid reimbursement dollars
  • Narrative Support: Offers guidance on how to effectively write and submit narratives for the Reimbursement Spending Report

Federal Legislative Updates


CDE is tracking proposed changes to federal parental consent legislation. At this time, the proposed rule is reviewing public comments, with an anticipated final ruling in November 2024.          


Once the rule is finalized, CDE will examine the final rule and inform program participants of any changes to the SHS program. If you have any questions regarding the proposed rule, please email Tyler Marsh

Local Services Plan (LSP)


If your district or BOCES LSP expires in June 2025, a new five-year plan is due by the initial review deadline on Monday, June 16, 2025. A final submission will be due two-weeks later on Monday, June 30, 2024. The initial review deadline allows enough time to review the draft and make any necessary edits to the LSP before final submission on July 1. Remember that districts or BOCES have the option to submit their draft early.


Please contact Tyler Marsh for any questions, LSP draft review requests, or if you would like additional support creating an LSP. It is recommended to start working on your new LSP 10 months before the submission deadline.

Need to Meet?


If you would like 1-1 support on reimbursement spending, the LSP, or the reimbursement spending report, feel free to email Tyler Marsh.

Key Dates

FY 2024-2025 Stakeholder Dates

Oct. 10, 2024

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.


Jan. 9, 2025

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

 

Apr. 10, 2025

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.


All meetings will be via Zoom & In-Person


In person location:

303 E. 17th Ave,

Denver, CO 80203

Annual Cost Report

 

Aug. 1, 2024

FY 2023-24 Annual cost report was opened for district reporting

 

Oct. 28, 2024

FY 2023-24 Annual cost report is due

 

Once districts certify the annual cost report, districts will receive an email notification indicating their desk review is ready for response.

Quarterly Cost Report

 

Oct. 1, 2024

July – September 2024 (JS24) quarterly cost report will be open for reporting

 

Oct. 31, 2024

JS24 quarterly cost report due

Random Moment Time Study (RMTS)

 

Nov. 1, 2024

The SPL and calendars for the January – March 2025 (JM25) quarter will open

 

Nov. 29, 2024

JM25 SPL and calendars are due

Contacts

The School Health Services Program is a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Education and the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing.


If you have any suggestions for the newsletter, please email the School Health Services Email Box.


Additional SHS Program Contacts: 

Important Links

School Health Services


Public Consulting Group - Claiming System

Colorado Department of Education


Health First Colorado