SECTION 32.1-326.3. Special education health services; memorandum of agreement between the Department of Education and the Department of Medical Assistance Services  

A. The Department of Medical Assistance Services, in cooperation with the Department of Education, shall, consistent with the biennium budget cycle, examine and revise, as necessary, the regulations relating to the funding and components of special education services.

Any revisions shall be designed to maximize access to health care for poor children who are eligible for medical assistance services and are disabled and have been identified as eligible for special education, and to assist school divisions in the funding of medically necessary related services by making use of every possible, cost-effective means, Medicaid reimbursement or other program administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services, including, but not limited to, the State Children's Health Insurance Plan pursuant to Title XXI of the United States Social Security Act, as approved by the federal Health Care Financing Administration at the time. Any revisions shall be based on the flexibility allowed to the states and be focused on avoiding large costs for acute or medical care and increasing children's access to health care, and shall include, but need not be limited to:

1. Rates for services which shall clearly identify that only the federal share shall be reimbursed for the special education health services and shall demonstrate that local governments are funding the state match for the special education health services provided by school divisions.

2. The benefits and drawbacks of allowing school divisions to provide services as Medicaid providers to disabled students.

3. The appropriate credentials of the providers of care, in compliance with federal requirements and with the approval of the Health Care Financing Administration, for special education health services; e.g., licensure by the Board of Education and licensure by the appropriate health regulatory board within the Department of Health Professions.

4. Delivery of medically necessary related services for special education students who are eligible for medical assistance services.

The services shall be limited to those services which are required by the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP), shall be covered under the then-current state plan for medical assistance services, and may be provided, consistent with federal law and as approved by the Health Care Financing Administration, by a school division participating as a special education health services provider. Such services shall include, but need not be limited to, speech therapy, including such services when delivered by school speech-language pathologists licensed by the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology or those individuals who are directly supervised, at least twenty-five percent of the time, by such licensed speech-language pathologists; physical therapy; occupational therapy; psychiatric and psychological evaluations and therapy, including such services when delivered by school psychologists-limited licensed by the Board of Psychology; transportation between the student's home, the school or other site where health-related services are to be provided on those days when the student is scheduled to receive such services at the school or such other site; and skilled nursing services, such as health assessments, screening activities, nursing appraisals, nursing assessments, nursing procedures, medication assessment, medication monitoring, and medication administration.

5. The role of the Medallion, Medallion II, Options or other managed care programs in regard to the special education health services and coordination with school divisions regarding any required referrals.

B. Any funds necessary to support revisions to the special education health services shall be included in the budget estimates for the departments, as appropriate.

C. The Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services or his designee and the Superintendent of Public Instruction or his designee shall develop and execute a memorandum of agreement relating to special education health services. This memorandum of agreement shall be revised on a periodic basis; however, the agreement shall, at a minimum, be revised and executed within six months of the inauguration of a new governor in order to maintain policy integrity.

D. The agreement shall include, but need not be limited to, (i) requirements for regular and consistent communications and consultations between the two departments and with school division personnel and officials and school board representatives; (ii) a specific and concise description and history of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a summary of school division responsibilities pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and a summary of any corresponding state law which influences the scope of these responsibilities; (iii) a specific and concise summary of the then-current Department of Medical Assistance Services regulations regarding the special education health services; (iv) assignment of the specific responsibilities of the two state departments for the operation of special education health services; (v) a schedule of issues to be resolved through the regular and consistent communications process, including, but not limited to, ways to integrate and coordinate care between the Department of Medical Assistance Services' managed care providers and special education health services providers; (vi) a process for the evaluation of the services which may be delivered by school divisions participating as special education health services providers pursuant to Medicaid; (vii) a plan and schedule to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden of Medicaid participation on school divisions in Virginia; and (viii) a mechanism for informing primary care providers and other case management providers of those school divisions that are participating as Medicaid providers and for identifying such school divisions as Medicaid providers that are available to receive referrals to provide special education health services.

E. The Board of Medical Assistance Services shall cooperate with the Board of Education in developing a form to be included with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that shall be accepted by the Department of Medical Assistance Services as the plan of care (POC) and in collecting the data necessary to establish separate and specific Medicaid rates for the IEP meetings and other services delivered by school divisions to students.

The POC form shall (i) be consistent with the plan of care required by the Department of Medical Assistance Services of other Medicaid providers, (ii) allow for written updates, (iii) be used by all school divisions participating as Medicaid providers of special education health services, (iv) document the student's progress, and (v) be integrated and coordinated with the Department of Medical Assistance Services' managed care providers.

F. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall consult with the Department of Education in preparing a consent form which (i) is separate from the IEP, (ii) includes a statement noting that such form is not part of the student's IEP, (iii) includes a release to authorize billing of school-based health services delivered to the relevant student by the school division, and (iv) shall be used by all school divisions participating in Medicaid reimbursement. This consent form shall be made available to the parents upon conclusion of the IEP meeting. The release shall allow for billing of school-based health services by Virginia school divisions to the Virginia Medicaid program and other programs operated by the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

G. The Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Education shall also develop a cost-effective, efficient, and appropriate process to allow school divisions access to eligibility data for students for whom consent has been obtained.

H. The Board of Medical Assistance Services shall, when in compliance with federal law and regulation and approved by the Health Care Financing Administration, also (i) include, in its regulations which provide for reimbursement of school divisions participating in Medicaid as special education health services providers, a provision for reimbursement of mental health services delivered by licensed school psychologists-limited and a provision for reimbursement for services rendered to Medicaid-eligible students of speech-language pathology services delivered by school speech-language pathologists or those individuals who are directly supervised, at least twenty-five percent of the time, by such licensed speech-language pathologists; (ii) revise the limitations, established pursuant to relevant regulations and Virginia's state plan for medical assistance services, on services delivered by school divisions participating in Medicaid as special education health services providers, in effect on January 1, 1999, for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech, hearing, and language disorders when such services are rendered to children who are eligible for special education services and have IEPs requiring such services; (iii) cooperate with the Board of Education in developing a form to be included with the IEP that shall be accepted by the Department of Medical Assistance Services as the plan of care when signed by a physician or, when under such physician's supervision, his designee; (iv) cooperate with the Board of Education in collecting the data necessary to establish separate and specific rates for the IEP services delivered by school divisions to students with disabilities who are eligible for special education and for medical assistance services; and (v) analyze the data necessary for such rates and establish new rates for reimbursement of IEP meetings based on such data.

I. Services delivered by school divisions as participating providers in the Medicaid program or any other program operated by the Department of Medical Assistance Services shall not include any family planning, pregnancy or abortion services.

1999, cc. 967 , 967 ; 2002, c. 967 .