Claiming in the School Meal Programs Hydie Kidd Fiscal Supervisor OSPI Child Nutrition Services Thank you for joining us for this recorded training on claiming in the School Meals Programs. My name is Hydie Kidd, and I am the Fiscal Supervisor for the Child Nutrition Programs in WA. 1
Objectives Reimbursement Rates and how they’re determined October Building Data Filing Claims and error messages Deadlines and Exceptions Revisions – for claims and calendars We are presenting this training module to provide sponsors with useful tools to help with questions and procedures they have for filing a successful claim. 1. Reimbursement Rates and how that is determined (severe bk rate, high/low meal rate, state co pay, etc.) 2. Data gathering and report clean up before entering claim (to ensure accuracy) Run month end data report to check for default entity, accuclaim reports, and building count data, physical counts to reported counts. 3. October building data and what to do when eligibility numbers have changed, entering new enrollment data field 4. Filing claim and error messages (what do they mean) Ok to Pay, Partially paid, Error Status etc. 5. Filing deadlines and pay exceptions (60 day rule) Crosstrain additional staff to know how to file claim in the event you are not able to. Make a habit of filing claim by (lets say) the 10 th of the following month. Put it on calendar as apt to set time aside to do that. 6. When revisions need to be made. Upward only within the 60 day period unless requesting pay exception. Downward revisions always allowed. Explain process for pay exception. What is needed in the formal letter? Two points we look for, A corrective plan of action CAP, what steps have you taken to ensure late claiming will 2
not continue to be a problem and that your business/district fully understands that a 1 in 36 late claim pay exception is only allowed one time for 36 consecutive months. Late claim pay exceptions are by programs as well. 7. Calendars and revisions to the calendars. Calendars are part of the application process. That means any revisions need to be "submitted" on your part and approved on our part (by the program specialist). This needs to happen prior to claim being reviewed to remove from error status. You will want to plan to get this done before the deadline for claiming, specialists may or may not always be available to approve. Plan ahead. 8. "Proceed to Calculation Summary"! Cannot stress enough the importance of using this feature! 2
Ready, set, claim! Gather your documents Set a time on your calendar Compare claim totals to prior months and years What you need before you are ready to input claim! All Point of Sale and/or Financial Reports with accurate and correct data for the month being claimed. Set a time on your calendar to be able to take your time and complete the claim without interruptions. Compare claim totals to prior months and years for any discrepancies. Always, preview errors on claim and proceed to calculate! 3
Ready, set, claim! Always preview errors Trouble shoot any problems, click on preview errors! Contact OSPI for questions Always preview errors. Wins is very intuitive with identifying what part of the claim is in error status. This will allow you to trouble shoot the claim without assistance. Trouble shoot any problems, click on preview errors! Contact OSPI for questions. 4
Ready, set, claim! To be paid in the same month , submit your claims By the 15 th of the month (even if it falls on a weekend or holiday) By 5:00pm PST Make sure to complete any changes by 5pm! WINS automatically logs you out of the system, claims that are not completed may not process for payment. Remember the 15 th of the month by 5:00 PM PST, is the deadline for be paid in the same month. Remember if you are in WINS inputting data into a claim and you are not finished by 5:00, the system will kick you out of the program and only the parts of the claim that are in ok to pay will process. Please plan accordingly. 5
What else affects claims?? WINS claim edit checks ….. # of operating days x eligible students by free, reduced and paid categories Wins edit checks number of meals claimed based on October building data eligibility numbers or enrollment updated entered Site calendars – tied to # of operating days for the site REMEMBER! Click “Preview Errors” if errors show up! Wins is a system that has edit checks incorporated into the system to edit check operating days x October building data. Wins calculates the claim based on your OBD that you entered with your October claim. If you are receiving an “error message” on your claim, remember to click on the “preview errors” field to generate message that needs your attention. Wins also ties site calendars to number of operating days claimed for the site. If calendar does not match operating days reported for that month, the claim will go into error status. Remember, if in error, click on “Preview Errors” at bottom of claim page. 6
Reimbursements Local Education Agency’s (LEAs) are responsible for: Ensuring correct use of free and reduced-price eligibility when claiming. Using a system that reliably: Generates accurate and correct data to be used for reimbursement claiming Meal Counts, Eligibility Data and Operating Days Consolidates meal counts and types by category correctly Has accurate and useful reports to promote financial stability All meals that meet meal pattern requirements, served to children eligible for free, reduced ‐ price and paid meals may be claimed for reimbursement Meals must be counted, recorded, consolidated and reported through a system which consistently yields correct claims Annual (July 1 – June 30) rates adjustment are based on the Consumer Price Index 7
Reimbursement Rates Let’s take a look at Severe Need Breakfast 8
Reimbursement Rates Severe Need Breakfast Schools where 40% or more of the lunches served to students at that school in the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced-price. Severe Need Breakfast Schools where 40% or more of the lunches served to students at that school in the second preceding school year were served at free or reduced ‐ price. 9
Reimbursement Rates Let’s take a look at lunch 10
Reimbursement Rates Lunch (less than 60%) Lunches served by sponsors in which less than 60% of the lunches served in the school Lunch program during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced-price. Lunch (less than 60%) Lunches served by sponsors in which less than 60% of the lunches served in the school Lunch program during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced ‐ price. 11
Reimbursement Rates Lunch (60% or more) Lunches served in which 60% or more of the lunches served during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price. Lunch (more than 60%) Lunches served in which 60% or more of the lunches served during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price. 12
Reimbursement Rates Performance based reimbursement is for… 13
State Assistance and Co-Pay Washington state legislation appropriated funds to support public school meals. The .17 cents is paid to sponsors for all free and reduced bk meals served in the month. This is a specific pot of state money and is monitored throughout the year. The rate can be increased or decreased depending on bk meal counts. Discuss how assistance for breakfast rate may change 14
October Building Data Data to determine rates entered on the site application October Building Data is entered in the October claim and based on the number of approved free, reduced and paid eligible students enrolled and have access to meals in the school. This data is used as an edit check throughout the program year. 15
Often Oct. Building data is not accurate as the year goes on, so if you need to update your enrollment due to student enrollment changes, for Nov Through Sept you can update enrollment by clicking on the add new enrollment data field. This allows the edit check to look at the new enrollment data to edit check the claim. We realize the OBD is a snippet in time and is not always up to date. 16
October Building Data Information from your application effects claims! Reimbursement categories Calendars Revisions need to be created, submitted and approved by specialist before claim can be paid. Make changes to multiple months so that it minimizes the number of changes that you need to make. Information completed during program application informs claims! Reimbursement categories: Severe Need Breakfast Above/Below 60% Lunch Calendars Part of the application process, which means that any revisions need to be created, submitted and approved by specialist before claim can be paid. Make changes to multiple months so that it minimizes the number of changes that you have to make. Example: you know that in February you had 4 snow days and to make them up your LEA is now going to school one more day in April, one more day in May and 2 more days in June. Make all changes at once. Don’t wait if information is available! 17
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