School Health Services Program News |
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Our newsletter is a Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) publication which provides information on the School Health Services (SHS) Program. The Colorado SHS Program is administered by the Department in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education. 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 Medicaid benefits. |
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SHS Stakeholder Representative List |
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Your stakeholder is a representative and resource on best practices, training techniques for your roster participants, and an SHS Program mentor. For information on our stakeholder meetings and how you can find contact information for your stakeholder representative, please reference our Stakeholder Forum website. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your stakeholder if you have any questions.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Available for All Coloradans 12 and older
People over 12 can now get a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and people 18 and older can also get the Moderna or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or prove lawful presence to get vaccinated.
The vaccine is free. There is no charge for the office visit or co-pays.
Thank you for continuing to do your part to keep Colorado safe during this pandemic.
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National Alliance of Medicaid in Education Updates (NAME)
Marlee Hart, NAME Representative At-Large
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The NAME IT Committee is working hard to redesign our website, so please be patient as we add content to our new pages. If you want a sneak peak, please go to our website to see some of our updates. Please feel free to share your comments or suggestions by emailing the Medicaid for Education team.
If you are a NAME member, please consider volunteering on one of the many committees that help drive our organization! From Communications to Government Affairs, there’s a place for everyone to lend their specific talents. Email the team or visit Name Leadership Website for a list of committees.
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Annual Cost Report Reminder for FY21 |
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With the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 annual cost report rapidly approaching, please see the helpful reminders below:
- Identify all federal funds that were used from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021. This includes any COVID-19 related federal funding that was used for staff payroll, materials and supplies, or transportation related costs.
- Only report payroll for direct services provided while the provider was included on the direct service staff pool list (accrual accounting).
- Report transportation other costs expended (other than fuel/oil) even if there were periods of remote learning.
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Back to School Reminders for October - December 2021 |
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Summer break is quickly approaching and means there will not be a Random Moment Time Study (July-September quarter). Calendars will be opened for October-December 2021 (OD21) on August 2 and will require certification by August 30. Please remember to send your board approved district calendars for the 2021-22 school year to PCG when you certify your calendar for OD21.
Staff Pool Lists (SPL) for OD21 will open on August 2 and need to be certified by August 30. The OD quarter sees the largest amounts of updates in SPLs due to new providers joining the program at the beginning of a new school year. New/existing participants will require coordinator assistance in understanding the importance of the RMTS program as well as a refresher on the recent Free Care expansion and program updates. Keep in mind that providers that are 100% federally funded should not be added to the SPL. The SPL decision tree found in the PCG Claiming System on the homepage can assist in determining provider eligibility in the program. Remember that vacancies must be deleted at the start of the quarter before OD21 moments are generated in September.
Participants will continue to have a two-day response window for moments. Follow-ups to moments have a three-day response window. Participants should answer accurately and specifically about the activity they were doing during the surveyed moment. Answers that are contradictory or are not detailed enough will be initially rejected by the PCG Claiming System’s answer bot feature and/or may require additional follow-up.
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Since annual training will be remote again this year due to COVID-19, the Zoom meeting platform will be used to deliver the upcoming training sessions. The Department and PCG will be encouraging the use of webcams to maximize district engagement and participate in open discussions. Multiple sessions per subject areas will be offered for both the morning and afternoon to accommodate district schedules. Annual training session dates are as listed below. The exact times of each session will be communicated to districts in the near future. The format will be similar to last year’s annual training.
Aug. 4, 2021
Aug. 5, 2021
Aug. 9, 2021
Aug. 10, 2021
If there is a topic you would be like to see in an upcoming training contact PCG.
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Stakeholder Corner
The Department hosted the most recent stakeholder meeting virtually on April 15, 2021. We had a very interactive session and received vital feedback from district stakeholders. Training formats were a hot topic as we approach the upcoming annual training sessions in August. Stakeholders expressed a fondness of the meeting format which utilized breakout rooms that generated important discussions.
During our stakeholder meeting we also discussed:
· COVID-19 updates
· The AJ20 Time Study’s waiver and its impact on future quarters
· Interim payment holds
· How to document stand-alone plans of care
· Personal care remote paras
· Licensure documentation for Comprehensive Reviews
· RMTS answer bot scenarios
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Get to Know Jennifer Miller
Jennifer Miller lives in Phoenix, Arizona and has been with PCG for more than four years. We are excited that she joined the Colorado SHS team in February 2021. Prior to employment at PCG, Jennifer worked on the Medicaid program in schools as a coordinator for almost nine years. She is part of the annual cost reporting team and is passionate about school districts maximizing their Medicaid reimbursement with integrity while meeting program compliance. Jennifer enjoys providing guidance and assistance when needed and is excited to meet all of you!
Jennifer has four adult children (including twin boys) and two granddaughters. Traveling or crafting is how Jennifer prefers to spend her free time, but she also enjoys wine and craft beer tasting, entertaining at her home, listening to music, and lastly (but not least!) spending quality time with her husband, family, and friends. Jennifer attended North Seattle Community College and received certification in Hospitality Management.
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Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Updates |
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Districts have access to new versions of the Local Services Plan (LSP) and support documents on CDE’s School Health Services website. As a reminder, the LSP serves to inform CDE regarding how a district plans to spend funds for a five-year period. Funds are required to be used to expand or enhance health services for all students.
When thinking about what expenditures are allowable, it is important to identify if the purchase expands or enhances health services for all students. In addition to general health supplies, such as first aid equipment, expenditures that serve to support the health staff who are providing health services to students are also allowable. An example of an allowable expenditure may include office supplies if the sole use of those supplies are by the health office staff. Purchasing office supplies for general use, however, would not be allowable. If you have any questions please reach out to Omar Estrada.
Key Date: If your district’s Local Services Plan expires on June 30, 2021, a new five-year plan is due Tuesday, August 31, 2021.
Annual Report to CDE
For this reporting period, there will be a change to the Annual Report to CDE for FY 2020-21 period. These are the categories and subcategories that districts can choose from when completing the annual report, which are also found in the new versions of the LSP:
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For districts currently using the old LSP categories, a document to assist with the transition to the new categories will be available. This document can help districts complete the annual report and will be available on August 1, 2021, on the CDE School Health Services Website.
Districts will now have the option to provide narrative information for each of the main categories in the Annual Report to CDE. This will not be required; however, it allows districts an opportunity to share successes or more descriptive expenditure information relevant to the category.
Key Date: The FY 2020-21 School Health Services Program Annual Report to CDE will be open from Friday, October 1, 2021, until Monday, February 28, 2022.
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FY 2021-2022 Stakeholder Dates |
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Oct. 14, 2021
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: TBD
Jan. 20, 2022
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: TBD
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April 14, 2022
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: TBD
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July 1, 2021
April-June 2021 (AJ21) cost report will open for district reporting
July 7, 2021
Quarterly financials refresher training
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July 30, 2021
AJ21 quarterly financials certifications due
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Aug. 2, 2021
FY 2020-21 Annual cost report will open for district reporting
Nov. 1, 2021
FY 2020-21 Annual cost report due from districts
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The School Health Services Program is a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Education and the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing.
Additional SHS Program Contacts:
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