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| Document Summary | - Report Published - |
House Document No. 00C
PUBLICATION YEAR 2001 | |
| Document Title |
| Review of Parental Liability Costs of Early Intervention Services (Part C) |
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| Author |
| Department of Mental Health; Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services |
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| Enabling Authority |
| Letter request from House Committee on Rules |
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| Executive Summary |
Background
Early intervention services for children and toddlers are provided by publicly operated Community Services Boards (CSB), local school systems, public Health Departments, and Social Service agencies as well as private providers under the Part C system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The term "providers" will be used in this document in acknowledgment to all the above. Services are available throughout the state and follow individual procedures of public providers or procedures of the participating private providers. Early intervention services may be extensive and costly. However, early intervention services are beneficial to eligible children and the Commonwealth as a whole, by promoting healthy development and preventing more costly service needs in the future. The process used to assure that services are provided in a manner that will not create an unnecessary financial hardship on liable parties (families) is the "Ability to Pay" process. State and Federal law requires that an Ability to Pay process be available for Part C services. The large number of providers and the relatively high cost of services create a need to develop an Ability to Pay process that is consistently applied state wide and assures access to services.
Purpose
This document provides guidance on all participating Part C providers on the appropriate procedures to be used relative to the Ability to Pay process. It is intended that the Ability to Pay process be statewide in application and consistently used by all Part C providers, both public and private. The desired result of a consistent Ability to Pay process is to reduce charges for services to a reasonable fee for consumers who have a demonstrated financial need. This process ensures that fees are not a barrier to services. |
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