School Based Medical Administrative Activities

Aligned with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) Internal Business Services is the host entity for the Riverside Inyo Mono San Bernardino Counties (RIMS) Region (Region 10) Local Educational Consortium's (LEC) statewide School-Based Medical Administrative Activities (SMAA) Program. 

The SMAA Program reimburses school districts for the federal share (50%) of certain costs for administering the Medi-Cal program. Those activities include: outreach and referral; facilitating the Medi-Cal Application; arranging non-emergency/non-medical transportation; program planning and policy development and MAA claims coordination. The SMAA Program is funded by federal and local funds and is authorized under the California's Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Codes 14132.47.

Allowable costs may include the salaries and benefits of the staff performing the activities, applicable operating expenses and appropriate overhead expenses.  SMAA is a Federal Financial Participation (FFP) program, which requires a non-federal match. Approved MAA costs are reimbursed at fifty percent (50%). Revenue is unrestricted.

To participate in the SMAA program, LEAs must participate in the Random Moment Time Survey (RMTS), a time survey methodology approved by the State to accurately assess the time spent on Medi-Cal administrative activities. The surveys are conducted on a quarterly basis and polls Time Survey Participants (TSP) on an individual basis at random time intervals over a given time period and totals the results to determine the work effort for the entire population of TSPs over that same time period. The RMTS method provides a statistically valid means of determining what portion of the selected group of TSP's workload is spent performing activities that are reimbursable by Medi-Cal.

The SMAA program is beneficial to our schools because it connects students and their families with Medi-Cal covered services and refers them to Medi-Cal providers, while at the same time, brings much needed revenue into our schools.

Resources

Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

NAME (National Alliance for Medicaid in Education)

California SMAA

SMAA Brochure

For additional information, contact MAASupport@sbcss.net