X Marks the Spot: Navigating the Maze of School Medicaid

Learn how to navigate potential pitfalls like HIPAA/FERPA compliance, and unlock valuable tips and tricks from CMS and OSERS to ensure your school’s Medicaid program is a success. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to find the ‘treasure’ of ongoing accountability and secure financial resources for your school over time.

After this workshop attendees will be able to:

• Create a system of Medicaid reimbursements without duplicating your staff’s efforts
• Have 2 privacy standards (HIPPA/FERPA) in place without creating confusion
• Stay up to date on the recent OSERS parental consent proposed changes
• Access to the exclusive CMS ‘Superguide’

About the Presenters:

Dr. Jenny Milward served in the field of special education in Georgia for 29 years. Dr. Millward received her doctorate in Curriculum Studies from Georgia Southern University. She proudly served in the administrative roles of Program Specialist and Director of Student Services for the last seventeen years of her educational career.

Dr. Millward’s awards include GLRS Special Education Impact Award, 2014; G-CASE Outstanding New Special Education Director, 2018; GAEL Jim Puckett Outstanding Educator, 2020; AAASP Advocacy Award, 2021; Ellen Maltais Chapter of CEC Legacy of Service Award, 2022; and G-CASE Service Award, 2022. Under her leadership, Houston County became the first district in Georgia to fully implement the ASPIRE initiative for student-led IEPs.

She has presented numerous times at the local, state, national, and international levels on its successful implementation. Dr. Millward is passionate about serving in professional organizations and held the position of G-CASE legislative chair and cochair and served as the State Advisory Panel representative for many years. This allowed her to advocate for special education locally, in addition to Atlanta and Washington D.C. Dr. Millward continues to advocate for children with disabilities as the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education. She enjoys service to her community and spending quality time with her husband, Shawn, and their family.

Mark H. Smith MPA, QIDP, CPM Agency Lead, Medicaid in Schools Program, Ohio Department of Education, is currently an administrator with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), serving as the agency’s Medicaid. Mark also currently serves on the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME) Board of Directors and is one of NAME’s past Presidents. Mark also serves on the state’s council for developmental disabilities and has also served as an officer on the state’s mental health/addiction recovery planning council. Mark has been Ohio’s co-lead on the CMS Affinity Workgroup as well as the Healthy Students, Promising Futures workgroup team.

Mark has 28 years’ experience working in state Medicaid governmental policy. His experience has involved institutional, educational, and community settings. In his past work, he created a cost allocation methodology for Ohio developmental disabilities waivers, and an assessment Instrument used to predict staffing ratios in community work settings for people with disabilities. Mark also has developed cost reports and auditing protocols for both schools and county boards of developmental disabilities. Mark has continuously worked with local, state, and federal stakeholders on Medicaid policy development, including direct work with the US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Education, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Mark has presented at over 50 state, national, and international-level conferences. In his work, he has presented on school-based health, data sharing between education and health arenas, parental consent, HCBS waivers, intellectual disabilities program design, electronic signatures, and telepractice.

Mark has an BA in History from the Ohio State University and a MPA from the John Glenn School of Public Policy at the Ohio State University. Mark wrote his Master’s Thesis on Medicaid services and transitioning from institutional to community-based care. He is also an Ohio Certified Public Manager.