READS Collaborative & R.E.A.D.S., Inc.
An Overview


     READS Collaborative and R.E.A.D.S., Inc. are governed by two distinct Boards of Directors that are comprised of the school superintendents from each of the member districts. R.E.A.D.S., Inc. is a non-profit corporation and a Medicaid-eligible vendor, permitted to provide programs and services as organized under Chapter 180 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Programs coming under the umbrella of R.E.A.D.S., Inc. include the Clinic, District Services, and Early Intervention Services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children through the age of three years.
     READS Collaborative is a multi-purpose, public organization established under Chapter 40 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that specializes in the development of regional programs for school-age children with low incidence handicapping conditions. The specific programs offered through the Collaborative include the Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (DHH) and the READS Academy.
     READS Collaborative conducts numerous workshops and training programs through its Professional Development Program that was developed to help meet the needs of educators and administrators who increasingly need to be informed about emerging trends and issues in today's educational arena. Some of the popular topics have centered around inclusion, behavior management, legal issues, reading methods, administration and interpretation of specialized testing, and education reform issues.

     Referrals to the various programs are accepted at any time during the year and are sent by the Special Education Teams through the Special Education Administrator of the town in which the child resides. Requests are reviewed by the appropriate program director, at which time site visits and other appropriate details can be arranged.
Call 508 947-3634 for more information

Municipal Medicaid Program


R.E.A.D.S., Inc. is a billing processor for Phase I and Phase II of the Municipal Medicaid Program.
Overview


     Ensuring equal educational access for children with special needs has required local educational agencies to provide educational and health-related services. The health-related services are essential to support equal access and promote educational achievement. However, providing these services has resulted in increased fiscal pressure being placed upon cities and towns to pay for these services. The passage of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 clarified Medicaid's responsibility to pay for health-related services provided to handicapped children pursuant to an Individualized Education Plan.

     To participate in the Municipal Medicaid Program, a school district must conform to a set of requirements established by the federal Health Care Financing Administration. Districts must complete a Provider Application, determine a student's eligibility, assure an Individual Education Plan exists for the student, obtain permission from parent/guardian, and complete a claim document (we have assisted school districts in the execution of each of these tasks)
Municipal Medicaid Program - Phase I


     Phase I of Municipal Medicaid Program was developed by the Department of Education, Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and the John W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs to enable cities and towns to receive federal Medicaid reimbursement for certain health related special education services provided to children enrolled in Medicaid. Certain health related special education services include physical therapy, adaptive physical education, occupational therapy, speech/language and audiological services, counseling, medical diagnosis/treatment, and sensory training. Municipal Medicaid has developed a "per diem" rate covering only the medically related services provided to students by special education prototype.
Municipal Medicaid Program - Phase II


     Phase II of the Municipal Medicaid Program is an expansion of Phase I of the Municipal Medicaid Program. Phase II is an opportunity for school districts to access federal funds beyond the special education population and capture administrative costs for all students in the school district. Phase II is for health-related administrative activities, not educational activities. Public school districts are eligible to receive federal Medicaid funds by performing certain activities for the purpose of improving the outreach, identification, and coordination of health-related services by school personnel. Administrative Activity Claims are based on time studies performed by school personnel and expenses incurred by the district.
Municipal Medicaid Billing Processor (Phase I & Phase II)


     R.E.A.D.S., Inc. is a billing processor that assists many local school districts in maximizing the financial benefits of both Phase I and Phase II of the Municipal Medicaid Program. Local school districts have the responsibility of providing minimal documentation to our experienced staff, and we are responsible for completing the billing process. Since 1995, R.E.A.D.S., Inc. has been instrumental in obtaining over $1,200,000 in Federal Funds available through the Municipal Medicaid Program to 7 member school districts.

     For information regarding the Municipal Medicaid Program, please contact Donna R. Richards, Business Manager at 508-947-3634 ext 101.