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Medicaid Annual Notification

Raymond School District
Michael Hatfield,  Director of Student Services
SAU 33, 43 Harriman Hill Road, Raymond, NH 03077
603-895-4299 Email

The Raymond School District, SAU #33, participates in the New Hampshire Medicaid to Schools program, whereby the Federal Government’s Medicaid program reimburses New Hampshire school districts for a portion of the costs of health related special education services provided to Medicaid eligible children. This source of funding helps offset the cost to local tax payers for health related services provided in an educational setting, in many cases, to children with special needs pursuant to their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). 

This annual written notification provides you information about your rights and protections under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), so that you can make an informed decision about whether you should give your written consent to allow the Raymond School District, SAU #33 to use your child’s public benefit to pay for special education and related services that the District is required to provide at no cost to you and your child under IDEA. First, allow me to provide some basic information about IDEA.

Part B of IDEA is the Federal law that provides for assistance to States and school districts in making a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which includes special education and related services, available to children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. If your child has been evaluated and found eligible for services under IDEA because he/she has a disability and needs special education and related services, the school district must develop an IEP for your child. The school district must provide the special education and related services included in your child’s IEP at no charge to you or your child. 

IDEA funds pay a portion of your child’s special education and related services. Funds from a public benefits or insurance program (for example, Medicaid funds) also may be used by the school district to help pay for special education and related services, but only if you choose to provide your consent, as explained below.

- Consent for disclosure of your child’s personally identifiable information to the State agency responsible for administering the State’s Public Benefits or insurance program.

- Consent that you understand and agree that the school district may use your child’s public benefits or insurance to pay for services under 34 CFR part 300, which are special education and related services under IDEA. 

Also, the school district cannot access your child’s public benefits or insurance if it would result in a cost to you, such as a decrease in your benefits or an increase in your premiums. These “no Cost” provisions [34 CFR §300.154(d)(2)(i)-(iii)] are explained below. 

  • The school district may not require you to sign up for, or enroll in, a public benefits or insurance program in order for your child to receive FAPE.  This means that the District may not make your enrollment in a public benefits or insurance program a condition of providing your child the services it is required to provide your child under IDEA at no charge to you or your child.
  • The school district may not require you to pay an out-of-pocket expense, such as the payment of a deductible or co-pay amount for filing a claim for services that the district is otherwise required to provide your child without charge.
  • Your school district may not use your child’s public benefits or insurance if using those benefits or insurance would:
    • Decrease your available lifetime coverage or any other insured benefit, such as a decrease in your plan’s allowable number of physical therapy sessions available to your child or a decrease in your plan’s allowable number of sessions for mental health services;
    • Cause you to pay for services that would otherwise be covered by your public benefits or insurance program because your child also requires those services outside of the time your child is in school;
    • Increase your premium or lead to the cancellation of your public benefits or insurance; or
    • Cause you to risk the loss of your child’s eligibility for home and community-based waivers that are based on your total health-related expenditures. 

Before the Raymond School District can ask you to provide your consent to access your child’s public benefits or insurance for the first time, it must provide you with this notification of rights and protections available to you under IDEA.  This notification is intended to help you understand these rights and protections, including the type of consent the District will ask you to provide.  If you choose not to provide your consent, or later decide to withdraw your consent, the District has a continuing responsibility to ensure that your child is provided all required special education and related services under IDEA at no charge to you or your child.

If you provided your consent for the Raymond School District, SAU #33, to disclose your child’s personally identifiable information to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, you have the right under 34 CFR part 99 (FERPA regulations) and 34 CFR part 300 (IDEA regulations) to withdraw that consent at any time. 

If you do not want the Raymond School District, SAU #33, to continue to bill your child’s public benefits or insurance program for special education and related services under IDEA, you would need to withdraw your consent to the District’s disclosure of your child’s personally identifiable information to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services which is responsible for administering the Medicaid to Schools program. Submit your written withdrawal request (include: child’s name, date of birth, Medicaid ID number) to the Medicaid to Schools Program, Raymond School District, SAU #33, 43 Harriman Hill Road, Raymond, NH 03077. 

We hope this information is helpful to you in making an informed decision regarding whether to allow the Raymond School District to use your child’s public benefits or insurance to pay for special education and related services under IDEA. For additional information and guidance on the requirements governing the use of public benefits or insurance to pay for special education and related services see here.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Hatfield, MSED, CAGS
Director of Student Services