12.27 Transportation Expenses

Legal Authority

The medical transportation liaison assists the foster/adoptive parent in obtaining approval as a medical transportation provider through the Department for Medicaid Services, Office of Transportation Delivery and regional transportation brokers. Upon approval, the liaison advises the foster/adoptive parent what documentation is required to receive reimbursement for transportation of children in their care for medical appointments.
For all children receiving Medicaid, the cost of non-emergency medical transportation is supported by the Department of Medicaid Services, either through the regional transportation broker or managed care provider.
The SSW or R&C Worker and DCBS foster/adoptive parent may utilize the Non-Medical Transportation Calculator for DCBS Foster Parents when a transportation request is being considered. For example, given a .40 mileage rate for state employees, a foster parent providing basic foster care to a child under the age of 12 would exhaust the mileage included in the per diem at 241 miles. All other non-medical transportation is included in the per diem.

Extraordinary transportation reimbursement may be considered on a case by case basis; however this applies only after a foster/adoptive home can justify that the transportation allowance in the per diem has been exhausted.

The R&C or ongoing/investigative worker will follow the guidelines of the Every Student Succeeds Act in partnering with the local school system to ensure stability and transportation services prior to any special expense approval.
The R&C worker provides the foster or pre adoptive home parent with the central office medical transport liaison's contact information, to ensure the foster or pre adoptive home can provide/arrange the child's transportation to necessary medical appointments.

The R&C Worker or SSW:

Obtains the approval of the FSOS to reimburse the child's bus fare for school transportation;
Requests to the FSOS who submits to the billing specialist on all transportation requests for visitation as outlined in SOP 4.17 Visitation Agreement and case planning conferences.