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Coventry schools report Medicaid reimbursements rising toward $880,000; district credits training and logging
Summary
District staff told the committee that Medicaid reimbursements, which fund certain health-related services for Medicaid-eligible students with IEPs, have recovered and are on track to exceed budget projections after staff training and improved logging practices.
District administrators presented an overview of Medicaid reimbursements and said improved training and logging have driven a rebound in revenue for Coventry Public Schools.
Amy Anzalone, who presented the overview, explained Medicaid reimburses health-related services provided to students who have individualized education programs (IEPs) and are Medicaid-eligible. Anzalone said not all health services are reimbursable; reimbursement applies only to services for Medicaid-eligible students and when parents have provided authorization to bill Medicaid.
Anzalone reviewed recent reimbursement history: fiscal year 2020-21 reimbursements were just over $700,000; 2021-22 dropped to about $645,000 and 2022-23 to about $485,000. She said the district made concentrated investments in training staff who can bill (nurses, mental health professionals, special-education teachers, related-service therapists, paraprofessionals and transportation) and worked with the vendor CompuClaim. As of February, district staff reported receipts close to $800,000 and an updated financial report brought a $870,000 figure; the district now projects end-of-year Medicaid revenue could be roughly $950,000, exceeding the budgeted projection by about $150,000.
Presenters identified areas contributing to year-over-year increases: paraprofessional logging, speech and language services, case management by special-education teachers, specialized transportation and out-of-district tuition. Anzalone described the paraprofessional logging process and said paraprofessionals typically log for 2'5 students, marking services performed and total time in weekly logs; she estimated weekly logging takes about 3— minutes per student.
Committee members asked whether loss of Medicaid funding would affect students; presenters clarified that services required by law in IEPs must be provided regardless of reimbursement, but a drop in Medicaid payments would affect the district's budget. The process requires parental consent to bill Medicaid; Anzalone said most parents sign.
Committee members thanked staff for the training and recordkeeping improvements and urged continued support for staff who must log services. Finance staff included the improved Medicaid figures in the district monthly report discussed later in the meeting.
