The Honorable Arne Duncan August 2, 2010 Secretary of Education U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C.

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1 The Honorable Arne Duncan August 2, 2010 Secretary of Education U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C Dear Secretary Duncan: The undersigned organizations, representing a broad national coalition of public health, disability, education, hospital, organized labor, health care providers, and others write to request you to remove the 2006 IDE regulation at (d) (iv) (A), which requires that school districts obtain parental consent, consistent with 300.9, each time that access to a student s Medicaid benefits is sought. Obtaining parental consent to bill Medicaid as mandated by the new regulation has proven to be exceptionally problematic for school districts. Many parents are mistakenly concerned that giving consent will result in out-of-pocket costs to them or a reduction in Medicaid benefits. The administrative time required of district staff to follow-up with students and parents to get signatures is costly, time-consuming, and ineffective. As a result, some LEAs are withdrawing from the reimbursement program and others have decided not to participate. Even more significant is the direct loss of reimbursement dollars to schools. This regulatory action could not have come at a worse time, as school districts across the country struggle with severe budget cuts. This regulation restricts federal reimbursement for services the schools deliver under federal mandate, imposing additional costs for compliance, and lost revenue from reduced parental participation. Losses to school districts across the country as result of this regulation are measured in the millions of dollars. By CMS s own numbers, reimbursement to schools for the provision of direct services under IDE declined nationally between FFY2005 and 2008 by $422 million, a 21% decrease. Whether this is due to parental consent or myriad other factors is a valid debate, but at least a sizable portion of that amount relates directly to the parental consent regulation. Specific district losses are available. As but one example, a large Western school district estimates a $1.6 million loss between its 2008/2009 reimbursements. Specific numbers are available from a number of school districts across the country. 1

2 To frame the argument in its simplest terms: s have operated for more than twenty years without the regulation and with no abuses The regulation was created and promulgated under the previous administration The requirement for individual consent before billing Medicaid has had a chilling effect on the ability of school districts to obtain funds that are reimbursement for services they are mandated to provide As a result of the regulation, school districts have lost millions of reimbursement dollars In the period between FFY2005 and 2008 Medicaid payments to schools have experienced a decrease of $422 million, or 21% In a recent meeting, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicated the regulation is of no interest to them and is solely a matter for the Department of Education On behalf of children s health programs across the country, we respectfully request that you immediately remove the parental consent requirement found at (d) (iv) (A) of the current version of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Thank you very much for your assistance in this matter Very truly yours, The LEAnet Board of Directors c/o Dr. Sherry Purcell 29th Floor Los Angeles Unified 333 Beaudry Los Angeles, sherry.purcell@lausd.net cc: Tom Harkin () Michael B. Enzi (WY) Chuck Schumer () Christopher Dodd (CT) Lamar Alexander (TN) George Miller () John Kline, Ranking Member () Dale Kildee, Chairman () Michael N. Castle, Ranking Member (DE) c/o Bethany Little c/o Beth Buehlman c/o Meghan Taira c/o Madeline Gitmomer c/o David Cleary c/o Denise Forte c/o James Bergeron c/o Lillian Pace c/o Jessica Gross 2

3 Signatories [partial list] Aberdeen Abington Abington Heights Acld Tillotson Adams Count 50 Adna Akron Westfield s Alameda Unified Alamogordo Public s Albert Gallatin Area s Albuquerque Public s Aldine Independent Aliquippa Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 Allegheny Valley Allegheny-Clarn Valley Allentown City Alliance For Progress Community Almira Alpine Alternative Billing Consultants Altoona Area Alum Rock Union Ambridge Area American Association of Administrators Anacortes Anamosa Annville-Cleona Antietam Apollo-Ridge Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 Appleseed Legal Justice Center Arin Intermediate Unit 28 Arlington Armstrong Aromas-San Juan Unified AR-WE-VA Athens Area Auburn CO NM NM UT SC Auburn Union Elementary Aurora Public s Austin Independent Avella Area Avon Grove Community Avon Grove Avonworth Aware, Inc. Bainbridge Island Bald Eagle Area Baldwin-Whitehall Baltimore County Public s Bangor Area Bastrop Independent Bastrop Special Education Co-op Battle Ground Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Beaumont Unified Beaver Area Academic Community Beaver Area Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit 27 Bedford Area Bellefonte Area Bellevue Bellingham Dist Bellwood-Antis Belmont Academy Community Belmont Community Bennett Valley Union Bensalem Twp Benton Area Bentworth Berks County Intermediate Unit 14 Berlin Brothrsvly Bermudian Springs Berrien Regional Education Service Agency Berwick Area Bethel Park Bethel CO MT MD 3

4 Bethel-Tate Local Bethlehem Area Bethlehem-Center Big Beaver Falls Area Big Spring Blackhawk Blacklick Valley Blaine Blairsville-Saltsbrg Blast IU 17 Bloomsburg Area Blue Mountain Blue Ridge Boistfort Boone-Clinton-North West Hendricks Joint Services Boyertown Area Boyertown Area Bradford Area Brandywine Hghts Area Bremerton Brentwood Boro Brevard Public s Bridgeport Brinnon Bristol Borough Bristol Township Bristol Warren Regional Brockway Area Brookville Area Brownsville Area Bucks County IU 22 Buffalo Public s Burbank Unified Burgettstown Area Burkeville Independent Burrell Butler Area Cajon Valley Union Calaveras Unified Calhoun ISD California Boards Association California Health Centers Association California Nurses FL RI Organization Camas Cambria Heights Cambridge City s Campbell Union ESD Campbell Union HSD Camphill Spec Inc Canon-Mcmillan Canton Area Cape Flattery Capital Area IU 15 Carbonado Carbondale Area Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit 12 Cardinal Carlisle Area Carlynton Carmichaels Area Carpinteria Unified Carrboro City s NC Casa Grande Elementary AZ Cascade Cashmere Castle Rock Caswell County s NC Catasauqua Area Cedar Rapids Community s Centennial Center Area Central Bucks Central Cambria Central Columbia Central Dauphin Central Decatur Central Fulton Central Greene Central Intermediate Unit 10 Central Kitsap Dist Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 Central Valley Dist Central Valley Centralia Dist Chambersburg Area 4

5 Chapel Hill - Carrboro City s Charleroi Area Chartiers Valley Chehalis Cheltenham Township Chenango Forks Central s Cheney Chester Community s Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 Chester-Upland Chestnut Ridge Chewelah Chicago Park Chichester Children's Coalition of Indiana Children'S Institute Of Pittsburgh Children's Trust Fund Chimacum Claim Care, Inc. Clairton City Claremont Clarion Area Clarion-Limestone Area Claysburg-Kimmel Cle Elum-Roslyn Clearfield Area Clover Park Dist Coalinga-Huron Unified Coatesville Area Cocalico College Place Collegium Community Colonial IU20 Colonial Colton Columbia Borough Columbia 206 Hunters Columbia 400 Burbank Colville Comm Academy Of Philadelphia Community Commodore Perry Compton Unified Commonweallth Academy Community NC MO Conemaugh Twp Area Conemaugh Valley Conestoga Valley Conewago Valley Conneaut Connellsville Ar Conway Cornell Cornwall-Lebanon Corona-Norco Unified Corpus Christi Independent Corry Area Cosmopolis Coulee-Hartline Council of Great City s Council of New York Special Education Administrators (CSEA) Council Rock Coupeville Dist Coventry Public s Cranberry Area Crawford Central Crescent Creston Crestwood Cumberland County s Cumberland Valley Cupertino Union Curlew Curwensville Area Cusick Dallas Daniel Boone Area Danville Area Darrington Dist Davenport Dist Davidson Davis JUSD Deer Lakes Deer Park Deer Valley Unified Delaware County IU25 Delaware Valley Delaware-Chenango BOCES RI NC AZ 5

6 Delta DePaul Institute Derry Area Derry Township Devereux Day Dexter AOS 904 Dieringer Director of Health and Budget Policy, Missouri Budget Project Dixie Donegal Downingtown Area Dr Gertrude A Barber Center Dry Creek Joint ESD Dubois Area Dunmore Duquesne City Duval County Public s East Allegheny East Chicago Public s East Guernsey Local East Hartford Board of Education East Lycoming East Penn East Side Union HSD East Stroudsburg Area Eastbrook Community s Easter Seal Society of Del Co Easter Seals Of Bucks Co Easter Seals Of Mont Co Easter Seals Of Philadelphia Easter Seals Of Western Pennsylvania Eastern Lancaster City Eastern Lebanon Co Eastern York Eastmont Easton Area Easton Eatonville Dist Education Center At Dt Watson El Dorado County Office of Education El Paso Consolidated 49 Elizabeth Forward Elizabethtown Area Elk Lake ME MO FL CT Ellensburg Dist Ellwood City Area Elma Elmwood Park C.U.S.D. #401 Elwyn Inc - Phila Ei Elwyn-Chester-Upld Mawa Emery Unified Endicott Entiat Enumclaw Ephrata Area Ephrata Erie Escalon Unified Espanola Public s Evaline Everett Area Everett Evergreen 205 Exeter Township Fairview Fannett-Metal Farmington Farrell Area Federal Way Dist Ferndale Area Ferndale Fife Finley First Focus First Philadelphia Community for Literacy Fleetwood Area Florence County Five Folk Arts Cltrl Treas Community Forest Area Forest City Regional Forest Hills Fort Bragg Unified Fort Leboeuf Foster Family-based Treatment Association Fowler Unified Fox Chapel Area Franklin Area NM SC 6

7 Franklin City s Franklin Mckinley Elementary Franklin Park 84 Franklin Pierce Dist Franklin Regional Franklin Towne Chs Frazier Freedom Area Freeman Freeport Area Fresno County Office of Education Galt Joint Union ESD Garfield Garland Independent Garnet Valley Gateway General Mclane Genesee Intermediate George Crothers Memorial Gilbert Public s Giles County Public s Girard Glendale Global Leadership Academy Community Go Solutions Group, Inc Golden Valley Unified Goldendale Dist Governor Mifflin Grand Coulee Dam Granger Granite Grapeview Dist Grass Valley Unified Great Valley Greater Johnstown Avts Greater Johnstown Greater Latrobe Greater Nanticoke Area Green Bay Area Public Green Tree Greenville Area Greenwood Griffin VA UT WI Grove City Area Gunnison Watershed Hacienda La Puente Halifax Area Hamburg Area Hampton Township Hanover Area Harbor Creek Harmony Area Harrington Dist Harrisburg City Hartford Central Hastings Hatboro-Horsham Haverford Twp Hayward Unified Hazleton Area Hempfield Area Hempfield Hermitage Highland Highlands Highline HMS For Children with CP Hollidaysburg Area Homer-Center Hope Community Hopewell Area Houston Intermediate Howard-Winneshiek Hudson City Huntingdon Area Imani Educ Circle Community Inchelium Independence Community Indiana Area Indiana Department of Education Ingham Intermediate Interboro Intermediate Unit 1 Inver Grove Iroquois ISB Education Solutions Issaquah Jackson County CO ID FL 7

8 Jamestown Area Jefferson Jefferson-Morgan Jersey Shore Ar Juniata County Juniata Valley Kahlotus Kalamazoo RESA Kanner Learning Center Karns City Area Keller Kelso Kennett Consolidated Kennewick Kent Kettle Falls Keystone Central Keystone Oaks Keystone Kingsburg Joint Union Kiona-Benton City Kipp Philadelphia Community Kiski Area Kittitas La Conner Lackawanna Trail Lacrosse Lake Chelan Lake Stevens Lake Tahoe Unified Lake Washington Lakeland Lake-Lehman Lakeside Union Lakeview Lakeville Lakewood Lamont Lampetr-Strasbrg Lancaster City s Lancaster Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 LaPorte Corporation Laurel Highlands Laurel Lawrence County Avts Lebanon Lee County Special Education Leechburg Area Lewis Central Lewis Palmer 38 Lewisburg Area Leyden Area Special Education Cooperative Liberty Ligonier Valley Lincoln IU 12 Lind Linden Unified Lindsay Healthy Start Line Mountain Little Lake City Livermore Valley JUSD Livingston Union Elementary Lodi Unified Longview Loon Lake Dist Los Angeles Unified Lower Dauphin Lower Merion Lower Moreland Twp Loyalsock Township Luzerne IU18 LV Community for Performing Arts Mabton Mahanoy Area Manchester Academic Community Manheim Central Manheim Township Manning Mansfield Dist Manteca Unified Maquoketa Mariana Bracetti Acad Community Marion Center Area Marion Community s Maritime Academy Chs Marple Newtown CO 8

9 Mars Area Marshall Martinsville CUSD #C-3 Mary M Knight Mary Walker Marysville Mason City Community s Mastery Community -Pickett Cmps Mastery Community -Shoemaker Cam Mastery Community -Thomas Campus Math Science & Tech Community McCleary Mcguffey Mckeesport Area McSwain Union Elementary Mead Mechanicsburg Area Mediapolis Medicaid In The s Program, State of Arkansas Medical Billing Technologies Medical Lake Dist Mendota Heights Merced Union High Mercer Area Mercer Island Meridian Mesa Public s Methacton Meyersdale Area Michigan Association of Intermediate Administrators Michigan Association of Administrators Michigan Association of Boards Michigan City Area s Michigan Elementary and Middle s Principals Association Mid Valley Middle Cities Education Association Middletown Area AR AZ Midd-West Midwestern IU 4 Mifflin County Mifflinburg Area Millcreek Twp Millersburg Area Millville Area Milton Area Milton-Union EVSD Minneapolis Public s Mohawk Area Monaca Monessen City Moniteau Monroe Montesano Dist Montevideo Area Special Education Service Center Montgomery Area Montgomery County IU 23 Monticello Central Montour Montoursville Ar Montrose Area Moon Area Moreno Valley Unified Morrisville Boro Morton Moshannon Valley Mossyrock Mount Adams Mount Baker Mount Carmel Area Mount Lebanon Mount Pleasant Area Mount Union Area Mount Vernon Mountain View MSB Educational Solutions Muhlenberg Mukilteo 6 Muncy Naches Valley Dist Napavine NH 9

10 National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health National Allliance for Medicaid in Education National Association for the Education of Young Children National Association of Private Special Education Centers National Association of Secondary Principals National Education Association National Boards Association Nazareth Area Neshaminy Neshannock Township Nespelem Nevada City Unified New Brighton Area New Castle Area New England Medical Billing New Foundations Community New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services New Hope Academy Community New Hope-Solebry New Kensington-Arnold New Lexington City s New Mexico MSBS Advisory Council New Philadelphia City s New York City Department of Education Newport Newport Newton Independent Nine Mile Falls Dist Nittany Valley Community Nooksack Valley Dist Norridge 80 Norristown Area North Allegheny North Beach Dist North Clarion County North East North Franklin Dist North Hills North Kitsap Dist AK NH NH NM North Mason Dist North Penn North Pocono North uylkill North Scott North Smithfield Department North Star North Thurston Dist Northampton Area Northeastern Educ IU 19 Northern Bedfrd Cty Northern Cambria Northern Lehigh Northern Tioga Northern York Co Northgate Northport Dist Northshore Dist Northwest Area Northwest Tri-County IU5 Northwestern Norwin Oak Grove Oak Harbor Dist Oakesdale Dist Oakville Oceanside Unified Ocosta Octorara Area Odessa Office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg Ohio Department of Education Oil City Area Okanogan Old Forge Oley Valley Olympia Omak Onalaska Onion Creek Dist Orange County Dept of Ed. Orange Grove ISD Orcas Island Dist Orchard Prairie Dist Orient RI 10

11 Oroville Orting Oskaloosa Otego-Unadilla Community Othello Overbrook For The Blind Owego Appalachian Central Owen J Roberts Oxford Area Pa Learner Online Community Pace Pacheco Union ESD Pacifica Palisades Dist Palisades Palmerton Area Palmyra Area Palouse Panther Valley Paradigm Health Care Systems Paramount Unified Parkland Partnership for Children and Youth Pasadena Unified Pasco Pateros Pathway Paton-Churdan Patterson Unified Pe Ell Peninsula Dist Penn Cambria Penn Delco Penn Hills Penn Manor Penna For Deaf Penncrest Pennridge Penns Manor Area Penns Valley Area Pennsbury Pennsylvania Cyber Community Pennsylvania Department of Education Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Penn-Trafford Pequea Valley Perkiomen Valley Perseus House Community Of Excl Philadelphia Academy Community Philadelphia Electrical & Tech Centers Philadelphia Performing Arts Community Philadelphia Area Phlpsbrg-Osceola Phoenixville Area Piedmont Regular Education Pine Grove Area Pine-Richland Pioneer Piqua City s Pittston Area Pleasant Valley Pleasant Valley Plum Borough Pocono Mountain Community Pocono Mountain Pojoaque Valley Polk County s, Columbus, NC Port Angeles Dist Port Townsend Dist Portage Area Pottsgrove Pottstown Pottsville Area Prescott Pressley Ridge Propel Community -East Propel Community -Homestead Propel Community -Mckeesport Propel Community -Montour Prosser Providence Department Provo City Pullman Punxsutawney Area Purchase Line VA NM NC RI UT 11

12 Puyallup Quaker Valley Quakertown Comm Queets-Clearwater Quilcene Quillayute Valley Quincy Radnor Township Rainier Ravenswood City ESD Raymond RE-1 Valley Reading Ready Springs Reardan-Edwall Dist Redbank Valley Renaissance Advantage Community Renton Republic Reynolds Rhodes 84.5 Richland Richland Ridgway Area Ridley Ringgold Ritzville Dist River Delta Unified Riverdale Riverside Riverside Beaver Cty Riverside Dist Riverside Unified Riverview IU 6 Riverview Dist Riverview Rochester Public s Rochester Dist Rochester Rockingham County s Rockwood Area Rosalia Rose Tree Media Royal CO NC Royr-Grvs Blind Russell Byers Community S Fayette Twp Saint Marys Area Salisbury Township Salisbury-Elk Lick San Antonio Intermediate San Joaquin County Office of Education San Juan Island Dist San Marcos Unified San Mateo-Foster City San Mateo-Foster City Sandy Valley Local s Santa Barbara County Education Office Santa Rosa County Satsop Saucon Valley Equity Caucus For The Blind For The Deaf Social Work Association of America Schuylkill IU 29 Schuylkill Valley Scranton Sd Of Pittsburgh Seattle Sedro Woolley Dist Selah Selinsgrove Area Selkirk Selma Unified Seneca Highlands Seneca Valley Sequoia Union HSD Service Employees International Union Shade-Central City Shaler Area Shamokin Area Shanksville-Stonycrk Sharon City Sharpsville Area Shelton Shenandoah Valley FL 12

13 Shenango Area Shikellamy Shippensburg Area Shoreline Sidney Sidney City s Sierra Unified Siskiyou County Office of Education Skykomish Slippery Rock Area Smithfield Public s Smithville Intermediate Snohomish Snoqualmie Valley So. Williamsport Area Soap Lake Solanco Somerset Area Souderton Area South Allegheny South Bend South Eastern South Kitsap South LaPorte County Special Education Cooperative South Page South Park South San Francisco South Side Area South St Paul South Western South Whidbey Dist Southeast Delco Southern Columbia Southern Fulton Southern Oregon Education Service Southern Tioga Southern York County Southmoreland Southside Dist Special of St. Louis County Spectrum Community Spokane RI OR MO Sprague Spring Cove Spring Grove Area Springfield Springfield Township Spring-Ford Area St John St. Bernard Parish Board Stanwood Camano Starbuck State College Area Steel Valley Steelton-Highspire Steilacoom Hist Dist Steptoe Sto-Rox Stroudsburg Area Sugar Valley Rural Community Sullivan County Sultan Sumner Sunnyside Dist SUSD Department of Health Services Susquehanna Community Susquehanna Township Susquenita SWWC Central Syracuse Public s Tacoma Taholah Tahoma Tamaqua Area Tekoa Tempe Elementary Tenino Tennessee Justice Center The Colorado Medicaid Consortium The Melmark Home Inc The People For People Community The Board of Broward County The Timothy The Vista The Westesn Inst Friendship Academy LA AZ TN CO FL 13

14 The Woods s Tioga Central Titusville Area Toledo Tonasket Toppenish Dist Touchet Towanda Area Tredyffrin-Etown Tri-County Special Education Trimble Local Trinity Area Tri-Valley Troy Area Truth or Consequences Tucson Unified Tukwila Tulpehocken Area Tumwater Tunkhannock Area Turkeyfoot Valley A Turlock Unified Tuscarora IU 11 Tuscarora Tussey Mountain Twin Rivers Unified Twin Valley Tyrone Area Union Area Union City Area Union Hill Union Ridge 86 Union Union Uniontown Area Unionvlle-Chadds Ford United University Place Upper Adams Upper Darby Upper Dauphin Area Upper Dublin Upper Merion Area Upper Moreland Township NM AZ Upper Perkiomen Upper St Clair Ute Pass BOCES-Woodland Park Valdosta Valley Day Valley Van Wert City Vancouver Dist Vanguard Vashon Island Dist Voluisa County s W Jefferson Hills W Mifflin Area W Philadelphia Achievement Community Wahluke Waitsburg Joint Walla Walla Wallenpaupack Area Wallngford-Swarthmore Wapato Warden Warren County Warrior Run Warwick Warwick Valley Central Washington Washougal Washtucna Wattsburg Area Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency Wayne Highlands Waynesboro Area Weatherly Area Weaver Union Wellpinit Wellsboro Area Wesley Highland West Allegheny West Branch Area West Chester Area West Delaware County West Greene West Middlesex Area GA FL 14

15 West Oak Lane Community West Perry West Shore West Side Avts West Valley S.D. Spokane West Valley S.D. Yakima Westerly Public s Western Beaver Co Western Dubuque Western Pa Blind Children Western Pa Deaf Western Placer Unified Western Wayne Westmont Hilltop Westmoreland IU 7 White Pass Dist White River Dist Wilbur Wilkes-Barre Area Wilkinsburg Boro Willapa Valley Dist William Penn William S. Hart Williamsburg Comm Williamsport Area Willmar Willows Unified Wilmington Area Wilson Wilson Area Winchester Public s Windber Area Winlock Winton Elementary Wishkah Valley Dist Wissahickon Community Wissahickon Woodland Hills Woodland Wyalusing Area Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West Wyomissing Area Yakima Yelm Community s RI VA Yonkers Public s York City Yough Youth Build Philadelphia Community Zillah 15

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