45131020 - Early Intervention Services

Account Description FY2015
Spending
FY2016
GAA
4513-1020 Early Intervention Services
For the early intervention program; provided, that the department shall report quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means the total number of units of service purchased and the total expenditures for the units of service paid by the department, the executive office of health and human services and third party payers for early intervention services for the following service categories: home visit, center-based individual, child-focused group, parent-focused group and screening and assessment; provided further, that the department shall make all reasonable efforts to secure third party and Medicaid reimbursements for the services funded in this item; provided further, that funds from this item shall be expended to provide respite services to families of children enrolled in early intervention programs who have complex care requirements, multiple disabilities and extensive medical and health needs; provided further, that priority shall be given to low- and moderate-income families; provided further, that the department shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means a report on the number of families served by the program and the amount of funds appropriated in this item granted to qualified families not later than January 8, 2016; provided further, that no claim for reimbursement made on behalf of an uninsured person shall be paid from this item until the program receives notice of a denial of eligibility for the MassHealth program from the executive office of health and human services; provided further, that MassHealth shall cover the costs incurred for the transportation of MassHealth members who participate in the early intervention program; provided further, that nothing in this item shall give rise to or shall be construed as giving rise to enforceable legal rights to any such services or an enforceable entitlement to the early intervention services funded in this item; provided further, that the department shall provide written notification to the house and senate committees on ways and means 90 days before any change to its current eligibility criteria; provided further, that no eligibility changes shall be made prior to January 1, 2016; provided further, that these funds may be used to pay for current and prior year claims; provided further, that the department shall provide services to eligible children through 1 service delivery model and shall not determine eligibility for services based on family insurance status; provided further, that not later than March 1, 2016, the department shall submit to the executive office for administration and finance and the house and senate committees on ways and means a status update on the early intervention state assigned student identifier pilot program; and provided further, that the update shall include a cost estimate for expanding the pilot to additional sites in fiscal year 2017
27,597,938 28,400,167