The Florida Senate

236.0812  Medicaid certified school funding maximization.--

¹(1)  Each school district, subject to the provisions of ss. 409.9071 and 409.908(21) and this section, is authorized to certify funds provided for a category of required Medicaid services termed "school-based services," which are reimbursable under the federal Medicaid program. Such services shall include, but not be limited to, physical, occupational, and speech therapy services, behavioral health services, mental health services, transportation services, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) administrative outreach for the purpose of determining eligibility for exceptional student education, and any other such services, for the purpose of receiving federal Medicaid financial participation. Certified school funding shall not be available for the following services:

(a)  Family planning.

(b)  Immunizations.

(c)  Prenatal care.

(2)  Each district's portion of the available Medicaid reimbursement shall be in the same proportion as the district's share of the total amount eligible to be certified as state match under the approved federal methodology for certification; however, the proportionate share of the total amount eligible to be certified for districts which fall below the statewide average in total potential dollars per weighted FTE shall receive a weight of 25 percent greater than the districts above the statewide average. The maximum amount eligible to be certified for state match shall be limited by the amount of federal Medicaid earnings budgeted in the General Appropriations Act or other general law.

(3)  The Department of Education shall monitor compliance of each participating school district with the Medicaid provider agreements. In addition, the department shall develop standardized recordkeeping procedures for the school districts that meet Medicaid requirements for audit purposes.

(4)  Each school district's continued participation in certifying funds to be reimbursed for Medicaid expenditures is contingent upon the district providing to the department an annual accounting of how the federal Medicaid reimbursements are utilized.

(5)  Funds generated pursuant to this section may be used for autism therapy services allowed by federal law.

History.--s. 4, ch. 95-336; s. 1, ch. 97-168; s. 59, ch. 97-190; s. 10, ch. 97-263.

¹Note.--As amended by s. 1, ch. 97-168. This version is published as the last expression of legislative will. Subsection (1) was also amended by s. 10, ch. 97-263, and that version reads:

(1)  Each school district, subject to the provisions of ss. 409.9071 and 409.908(21), appropriate federal authorization, and this section, is authorized to certify funds provided for school-based physical and behavioral health and transportation services for the purpose of earning federal Medicaid financial participation. While not limited to these services, each participating school district must place an emphasis on direct medically related nursing services.