MEDICAID
Medicaid provides affordable and comprehensive health coverage to over 30 million children, improving their health and their families’ financial well-being. In addition to the immediate health and financial benefits that Medicaid provides, children covered by Medicaid experience long-term health and economic gains as adults. Many children receive Medicaid-covered health care not only at the doctor’s office but also often at school.
For students with disabilities, schools must provide medical services that are necessary for them to get an education as part of their special education plans, and Medicaid pays for these services for eligible children. And Medicaid’s role in schools goes beyond special education, as it also pays for health services that all children need, such as vision and dental screenings, when they are provided in schools to Medicaid-eligible children. Schools can also help enroll eligible but unenrolled children in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and connect them to other health care services and providers. Medicaid also helps schools by reducing special education and other healthcare-related costs, freeing up funding in state and school budgets to help advance other education initiatives.
Information on Parental Consent
If your child is now or later becomes eligible for Medicaid or FAMIS and is evaluated for, receives, or is considered for, covered services written in the IEP, the federal government can reimburse KGCS for those services. Your consent is needed in order to allow our district to receive funding to enhance KGCS special education programs.
KGCS can seek reimbursement for services outlined in the IEP which may include: evaluation and testing services requested by the IEP team along with physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language, psychological, audiology, and skilled nursing services.
The Federal Medicaid-FAMIS program encourages states to pursue funds from their Medicaid-FAMIS program to help pay for services that are delivered in the schools. For many children, schools are the primary point of entry to receiving needed health and social services. Section 1903 (c) of the Social Security Act was amended to allow Medicaid-FAMIS coverage of health-related services provided to children under IDEA.
KGCS uses the funds our district receives to enhance programs for students with special needs by providing more resources for staff, equipment, and supplies.
KGCS is required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to obtain parent consent before disclosing information about a student with a disability. This includes providing information to the Medicaid agency.
Parental consent is only required one time. Consent is valid while your child is enrolled in KGCS, until your child no longer receives billable services per the IEP, or until you revoke consent.
Parent consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time. If you grant consent and revoke it at a later time, the revocation will not be retroactive and the services performed during the time your consent was in place will still be billed to the Medicaid agency. Please contact the Medicaid office at 540-775-8619 if you want to change your consent decision.
Your child’s educational program is based on his or her educational needs as defined by the IEP. Your consent decision will in no way impact his or her services regardless of the Medicaid-FAMIS consent status. However, denial of consent affects the district’s ability to access funds that benefit the education of students with disabilities.
KGCS can only bill for services if a child is identified as receiving Medicaid-FAMIS benefits. Losing Medicaid-FAMIS benefits will not impact the services your child receives.
Special education services are provided to students with disabilities at no cost to the parent, guardian, or adult student. Your child is entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA. You will not suffer any financial loss as a result of consenting to the billing for Medicaid-FAMIS services.
Services received outside the school setting will not be affected. Medicaid-FAMIS services received from an outside practitioner are authorized separately from services provided in the school setting. If you feel that your outside services are being impacted, you are encouraged to contact the Medicaid office at 540-775-8619. The Medicaid office will follow-up with the state’s Medicaid agency.
KGCS will not bill your private insurance for IEP related services. It is important for you to know that signing the consent form does not reduce your private insurance benefits nor other Medicaid-FAMIS services that you or your family receive.
School billing does not count towards the maximum amount of sessions you are allowed for private services. When schools seek reimbursement, these sessions will not impact the maximum amount of sessions allowed when receiving private services.
If your private service provider tells you not to sign the consent because your private services will not be reimbursed if the school seeks reimbursement, please have them contact the Medicaid agency.
How to Apply for Medicaid Expansion
- If you have a student that attends King George County Schools please contact the Medicaid Coordinator, Ms. Cassandra Norris, (540) 775-8619, [email protected]) to schedule an appointment.
- Visit coverva.org to review guidelines on eligibility, items to bring to the initial meeting and general information.
- Attend the meeting with the required documentation to complete the application with Ms. Norris.