Educate Yourself on Parental Consent for Medicaid
- Federal regulations (FERPA and IDEA) state that parents must be fully informed of their rights and protections before Districts can disclose student information, including for the purpose of Medicaid billing.
- Districts are required to obtain written consent and provide annual notices to parents regarding their rights.
Understand Your District's Processes
- Each district will be unique. Know your district's process!
- Districts will determine at what event the written consent will be required, whether it's the annual meeting or at registration.
- Districts will determine which staff members will explain consent to the parents and at what point in the event it will be discussed.
- Providers will need to know how the signatures will be obtained based off the District instructions.
Explaining Consent to Parents
- “Role play” the conversations you will have with parents regarding the consent form, and practice explaining the purpose for providing consent.
- Explain how Medicaid can be beneficial to the parents and that all parents are asked to give consent.
- Explain the importance of submitting claims for federal reimbursement and the impact is has on the district-provided services.
- Explain that a parent has the right to revoke consent at any time and that all medical and health information is protected.
- Provide informational handouts to parents explaining Medicaid parental consent. If applicable, provide contact information for a district representative that can answer any in-depth questions they may have.
What if the Parent Says "No"
- Accept the parent's decision, avoid pressuring, and assure parents their child will still receive services listed on their IEP.
- Explain consent will be requested every year, but they always have the right to deny it.
- Follow your district's process to document parental response of "No" to Medicaid consent.