Medicaid Messenger

The 2023-24 school year got off to a hot start! The Medicaid Department has been working to develop an updated billing system for Paraprofessionals in MISTAR Service Tracker, designed to make this process easier and quicker. Additionally, there are new documents and trainings to help support all of the Personal Care Aides in Wayne County. We've even created a new newsletter format that will include links to documents, user guides, and training videos.

You can easily navigate this issue of the Medicaid Messenger ~ Paraprofessional Edition by clicking on a title in the Table of Contents, located in the upper left corner of the screen. We hope you find the information in this edition helpful and will be able to access the links and video as needed for future reference.

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions.

We're here to help!

Michelle Maxfield - (734) 334-1461 ~maxfiem@resa.net

Leanne Smith - (734) 334-1464 ~smithle@resa.net

Tia Williams - (734) 334-1397 ~williat@resa.net

When providing services to students, you will need to keep a monthly, written service log of the care you are providing. As you fill out the Monthly Service Log, be sure to include the month and year, as well as your classroom teacher's name, at the top of your monthly log. Click the gray box in the picture to the right to expand the example of a completed Monthly Service Log.

The next section has space to list all of the students you are working with. Please include all of your caseload students on your Monthly Service Log, regardless of their Medicaid eligibility. After listing all the students, you will now refer to the key in the upper left corner of your log to list a service that you are providing for each student.

Each student who is assigned Personal Care Services on their annual IEPT/IFSP will have a completed Personal Care Authorization form. Please check with your classroom teacher for the services to be provided for each student on your caseload. Simply write the corresponding service number for each student in the date box for which you provided a service. You will only need to write one service code number that is checked on your student's Personal Care Authorization form, from the 16 options listed in the "Services" box.

For example, you may have a student who has Transferring (#6) and Redirection and Intervention for Behavior (#15) in their IEPT. You would only need to write one of these numbers, either 6 or 15, in the corresponding date box for which services were provided. In this example, you select option 15 as the service you will log for your student. At the end of the month, your student would have a row of 15s for each date they were present and you provided service. If you or your student are absent, simply write an 'A' in that date box.

Lastly, the bottom of the form has the required signatures section. You will need to sign and print your name on your Monthly Service Log. Then, have your classroom teacher date, sign, and print their name in their section of the form. Your Monthly Service Log is now complete and Medicaid-compliant. Please follow the policy of your district's Special Education Office for proper storing of your Monthly Service Log.

Can Personal Care Aides share their Monthly Service Logs?

• No. Each personal care aide is responsible for completing and signing their own log and is reporting services for those students they support.

• Yes. The same student may be on multiple logs if there is more than one personal care aide in the classroom or, an aide is absent and another aide is subbing for them.

• There are two reasons to include ALL of your students on your handwritten log:
1. If a student becomes Medicaid eligible at any point in the school year, you will be able to bill for the services you provided;
2. Listing each student on your log, you have documentation that equitable services are being provided, regardless of Medicaid eligibility.

• Your classroom teacher will have access to the Personal Care Authorization form, which is completed in the annual IEPT/IFSP, and will be able to share this information with you for each student on your caseload.

• Check with your classroom teacher or the Special Education Department for your district's document storage policy, as all Medicaid forms must be available for seven years, in the event of a state or a federal audit.

Your Monthly Service Log is the required documentation to support the Medicaid billing you will submit electronically in MISTAR > Service Tracker.

The Medicaid Department has been working with the MISTAR Technology Department to make the billing process in Service Tracker easier and quicker. Features of these upgrades include:

• Creating and maintaining your own caseload for the school year,
• Daily service notes are no longer required,
• and billing can be completed with a few clicks.

Resources for billing in Service Tracker include a training video and Quick Start Guide that will walk you through all of the upgrades recently made to the billing application. Also, refer to the FAQs highlighted in the following section, or reach out to the Medicaid Department for further guidance.

Can I bill for another aide's student if the aide is absent?

• Yes. Add the student's name to our Monthly Service Log and track the date(s) and the services you provided you YOUR monthly log.
• Long-term subs may bill with their own MISTAR login and are responsible for keeping their own Monthly Service Log.

Do I need to track the dates the student does not receive Medicaid personal care services?

• On your Monthly Service Log, write an 'A' for dates when either you or the student are absent. For Service Tracker billing, student absent dates are highlighted in red, and partial absences are highlighted in pink. Do not submit billing for dates highlighted in red. Simply click that date box to remove the "Y" when billing for services.

• No. The upgrades to Service Tracker eliminated the need for you to select a service code, as it is already listed at the top of the screen, and type in a summary note. The details of your daily service are kept on your Monthly Service Log.

• No. Service Tracker is the billing application for students who are Medicaid eligible only.

How do I remove students from my caseload?

• Follow the steps outlined below: