SHARS POLICY – Effective November 1, 2021
A Referral is required for Speech Therapy services. The referral must be updated a minimum of one (1) time every three (3) calendar years and must be signed and dated within three (3) calendar years before the initiation of services.
In order for Speech Therapy services to be reimbursed through SHARS, IDEA requires that a student receiving SHARS services must have a re-evaluation every three (3) years, which requires current information; unless the parent and the LEA agree that a re-evaluation is unnecessary (IDEA §1414 (a)(2)(B)).
A physician’s referral is not required for a re-evaluation. The need for a re-evaluation should be determined by the student’s ARD committee. The school district must maintain the referral in the client’s record.
Who is authorized to complete a Speech Referral for SHARS Medicaid?
- Speech therapists whose evaluations serve as the referral must be enrolled in Medicaid as individual practitioners and must use their individual NPI for claim submission
- Licensed Physician
In order for a district to receive Speech Therapy reimbursement through SHARS, written order for services must include:
- Name and national provider identifier (NPI) of the referring licensed physician, or other eligible referring provider
- Provider must be listed on the claim and kept in the medical record.
ONWARD offers a Speech Referral template for school district clients using the ONWARD system for SHARS documentation.
ONWARD will also be providing Speech Therapist assistance in obtaining an NPI number and enrolling the NPI in Medicaid for all school districts partnered with our company.
For more information on how you can become an ONWARD client, please contact Stasia Viator, VP of Sales, at stasia@onwardlearning.com. If you are currently an ONWARD partner and have questions surrounding the new Speech Therapy policies, please contact your Client Success Manager for assistance.