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District proposes reinstating school-based medical-access billing; consultant recommended to stand up program
Summary
Administrators proposed reviving a school-based medical-access (access) billing program to recapture federal/state reimbursements tied to services written into students' IEPs. The district recommended hiring an intermediate unit consultant to establish procedures; early revenue was conservatively estimated at $100,000–$200,000 annually and the board will consider a contract at the next meeting.
Mr. Longwell presented an overview of the school-based access (medical-access) program and recommended the district reestablish the program to create an additional revenue stream. He emphasized the program’s structure: reimbursement is available for certain direct services (e.g., specialized instruction or transportation written into an IEP) and for administrative claiming of staff activities that support access. He said the program has existed in Pennsylvania for decades and that the district previously participated but stopped; the administration has been studying reinstatement as part of 2026–27 budget planning.
On family impact, presenters repeatedly said the access billing does not change or reduce services families receive or their benefits: "the money that we would get through the school-based access program does not impact individual families," Mr. Longwell said. The district’s proposal calls for a support agreement with the regional intermediate unit (IU) or consultant to help rewrite procedures, train staff, ensure IEP documentation and compliance, and set up claiming systems so the district can accurately accrue and reconcile access dollars.
Administrators gave a conservative initial revenue estimate of roughly $100,000–$200,000 per year once the program is established, while cautioning year-one results might be lower as systems and documentation are stood up. The presenters said some reimbursements can be periodic as services are claimed and there is an annual reconciliation to determine final settlement.
Board members asked whether the program could create incentives to add services or transportation to generate revenue. Speakers responded that IEP determinations are driven by students’ educational and medical needs, that the program’s reimbursement rarely covers the full cost of adding services, and that consultant oversight, documentation and the district auditor would be part of the compliance checks.
Next steps: staff will bring a proposed support agreement and consultant contract with the IU to the board for consideration at the next voting meeting.
Ending: If the board approves the consulting agreement, staff said they would continue developing procedures, train staff, monitor claims and report on revenues and compliance.
