Medicaid May Help Schools’ Special Needs Costs (MS)

September 27, 2010

Special needs programs at some 100 schools across the state may get a small boost as a months-long Medicaid issue is ironed out with the federal government.
 
Schools, in some cases for almost two years, have been paying the costs of providing administrative duties related to children on Medicaid. It started over a flap about whether the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ever signed off on Mississippi’s program.

At this point, "it’s a matter of paperwork," said Phyllis Williams, Medicaid’s deputy administrator for health services.

"We had a conference call with CMS," she said. "We think we’ve provided them with the last of their questions.

"When I ask them for a specific: Will it be a week? Will it be two weeks? They won’t give me that."

Combined, the schools are hoping for retroactive reimbursements totaling $10 million to $14 million. The money can be used to bolster special needs programs.

Hinds County School District is owed a little more than $600,000, spokesman James Mason said. That’s for nearly two years of nonpayments.

"There’s been a lot of hard work going on over the last year with Medicaid and (the Department of) Education trying to get this thing fixed," Mason said. "It’s been very frustrating for them and everyone involved, but we’re optimistic we’ll get this resolved and get the program back and working the way it should."

The money is primarily used to pay salaries for four school nurses, he said. The district has shifted funds to keep their positions.

Mason said the lack of payment has caused the school to slow down its plans to expand special needs programs or add children to the rolls.

"It allows benefits for all children," he said.

School districts with larger populations of Medicaid clients are more impacted, as are those that sit within larger pockets of poverty. Medicaid and the Department of Education have been working closely with the affected school districts over the last year, education spokesman Pete Smith said.

The Madison County School District is owed roughly $28,000 for the last year in reimbursements, said Cris Bryan, special programs coordinator.

"We did not rely on that funding for anything; it’s just kind of extra. It’s not enough to make a huge impact for us particularly," Bryant said.

Still, Bryant said, "every penny helps."