KSBA service helped Kentucky districts net $4 million in Medicaid reimbursement last year

Kentucky’s public schools recovered more than $4 million last year for their cost of health services for Medicaid-eligible students through KSBA’s School-Based Health Service.

Now in its 15th year, the KSBA Medicaid reimbursement effort has assisted districts in capturing more than $15 million in student-related health services. Currently, 144 districts (83 percent of all districts) are enrolled in the service.

KSBA staff recently began alerting districts of a Medicaid-eligible service that only 14 districts currently are taking advantage of for reimbursement: purchase of assistive technology for special education students. Kentucky spends an estimated $1 million annually on these purchases. Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services defines assistive technology is anything assistive or adaptive to the needs of the Medicaid-, KCHIP- or Passport (Louisville area)-elgible child. Medicaid is reimbursing 80-100 percent of the cost of the items.

To further aid districts, KSBA has contacted a local equipment company that specializes in pediatric and adolescent assistive technology and it has agreed to accept payment based on the reimbursement rate that Medicaid provides to school districts. Under this arrangement, Kentucky school districts would recover their entire outlay for purchases that they legally are required to make for these students.

Superintendents and district staff with Medicaid reimbursement responsibilities may contact Stephanie Aldridge [email protected] at KSBA at 800-372-2962, extension 1114 for more information.