TEA 2019-2020 SHARS Audit Findings Report
Onward is committed to ensuring Texas school districts understand and follow SHARS regulations in order to maintain a fully compliant Medicaid program. Audit findings issued by TEA will help better understand necessary documentation updates and changes as it pertains to Medicaid reimbursement.
We love referrals! Please share our e-newsletter information with school districts in your area. For more information and to find out how your district can partner with Onward for SHARS Medicaid services, contact our Sales Team at sales@onwardlearning.com or you can contact Stasia Viator, VP of Sales and Client Relations directly at stasia@onwardlearning.com. Our team of experts in SHARS and MAC Medicaid are here to support your district. Come see why so many school districts are switching to Onward.
TEA Audit Findings
1. Though not required, written district SHARS procedures support an effective program.
2. Third Party Liability (TPL) should be understood by staff responsible for its dissemination. It must be clearly explained to all parents, guardians, and adult students who participate in the SHARS program.
3. All services, including personal care services (PCS), require individualized frequency and duration in the ARD/ IEP.
4. Grouping (individual or group) designation is required on logs. HHSC has recently indicated that individual or group designations will not be expected on ARD documents. Therefore, TEA will not include this in future audit reviews.
5. Logs can be specific to various services, but must have required SHARS elements (see District Self-Monitoring Tool)
6. A service in an ARD/ IEP (description and time) should be consistent with the SHARS log and billing.
7. Special education transportation is not the same as specialized transportation as defined by SHARS. Staff should be able to differentiate between the two and only bill for SHARS specialized transportation.
8. PCS is an individual service based on SHARS guidance. It does not include instruction, age appropriate support, or irregular intervention. If billed for SHARS, individual ARD/IEP documents should reflect the HHSC limitations.
Current clients of Onward Medicaid Solutions receive complete mock-audit services of IEP/ARD, SHARS and other supporting documents. Please contact your Client Success Manager at support@onwardlearning.com to schedule a mock-audit. As always we are excited to serve as your expert SHARS partner.