Medi-Cal Administrative Activities
Local Education Consortium - Region VII
New Information
LEC Response to CMS 2287 Proposed Rule with Signatures.pdf
California MAA Claiming Plan Background
On January 1, 1995, Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 14132.47, Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) became a covered benefit for reimbursement. MAA are activities necessary for the administration of the Medi-Cal Program.
Passage of AB2780 in 1997-98 established Local Education Consortium (LEC) regions that are the same as the Superintendents' Regions of the California Department of Education. In each Region, one county office of education serves as LEC lead. LEC leads process and submit MAA claims for reimbursement on behalf of school districts and county offices of education throughout the Region. LEC leads also receive and distribute MAA reimbursement funds.
The Madera County Office of Education is the Region LEC.
Why Involve Education?
Children and their families are unnecessarily going without Medi-Cal covered medical care. California, as a state, has comparatively low participation in Medi-Cal.
In addition to many children, undocumented aliens, the homeless, the elderly and unemployed heads of families and others who are not getting the health care they need. Many of these people do not know they are eligible or are apprehensive about applying for benefits.
Often Medi-Cal eligible people are involved with schools and county office of education programs such as IEP's, Student Study Team Meetings, SARB Meetings and Parent/Teacher Conferences, to name a few. Through these programs a level of mutual trust is established between the LEA's and their families. To get health care to more people in need, AB2780 made it possible for school districts and county offices of education to be reimbursed for administrative and other costs related to getting eligible people to apply for Medi-Cal for providing related services to children.
Reimbursed MAA funds are unrestricted for use by the claiming districts or county offices.
What are Medi-Cal Administrative Activities?
Staff in most school districts already assist parents, guardians and caregivers to get needed health care. Now, districts and county offices that make the following a part of their routine can be reimbursed:
- Providing information to the general population about Medi-Cal to encourage people who may be eligible to apply.
- Directing Medi-Cal eligible people into specific covered services.
- Assisting people believed to be eligible to complete a Medi-Cal application.
- Getting specific high-risk populations into Medi-Cal covered services.
- Providing activities targeting Medi-Cal participants and directing them to health care, such as Speech Therapy, Psychological Services and Occupational Therapy.
Arranging for transportation of Medi-Cal eligible people to Medi-Cal covered services.
Eligibility for Reimbursement
School districts served by a county office of education (listed below) can participate in MAA. Region VII is full service. Our staff will complete most of the duties for your district, allowing your district to bypass the vendor component of claiming for MAA, thus negating additional fees. To be reimbursed for MAA, each district or county office must:
- Contract with the Madera County Office of Education to receive process and submit claims on its behalf.
- Participate in required training.
- Complete required Time Surveys.
County Offices of Education - Region VII:
Fresno County Office of Education
Kings County Office of Education
Mariposa County Office of Education
Merced County Office of Education
Madera County Office of Education
Tulare County Office of Education
Authority and Participation
Program Authority
The Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) program is mandated by the Welfare & Institutions (W&I) Code, Section 14132.47, which authorizes the Department of Health Services (DHS) to contract with local governmental agencies (LGA) to assist with the performance of administrative activities necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the Medi-Cal program.
The 1998-99 Budget Trailer Bill, Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2780, Statutes of 1998, Chapter 310, W&I Code, Section 14132.47 was amended to allow local educational agencies (LEAs) to claim MAA through a local educational consortium (LEC) rather than subcontracting through their respective LGA. One LEC will be designated for each service region of the California County Superintendent Educational Services Association.
How Schools Participate
Agencies choosing to participate in MAA must comply with the program requirements established by the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). These include:
- Enrollment with the regional LEC or LGA.
- Annual participation in time survey training.
- Completion of a one-week time survey 3 times per year.
- Certification of local funds to match the federal share.
Each LEA participating in MAA must retain a contract with the Regional LEC or LGA. Those contracts specify the particular requirements of LEAs for that region.