Procedure:
Community Care expects to reimburse contracted foster parents for expense
incurred as a direct result of their contract, as outlined within policy and
procedures for reimbursement, and as mandated by Community Care regulatory
bodies.� Community Care expects contracted
foster parents to use resources, including but not limited to mileage, in the
most cost-effective manner possible (for example, using the most efficient or
direct route whenever possible).�
Mileage Reimbursement
Community Care will reimburse
contracted foster parents for approved mileage.�
The foster parent reimbursement form identifies which type of mileage is
reimbursable.� Approvable mileage and the
reimbursement rates are determined annually through the Care Development of
Maine budgeting process.� The foster parent reimbursement form
will be updated accordingly.� Whenever
there are questions regarding mileage, approval should be sought prior to
seeking reimbursement.� When submitting
for mileage reimbursement, foster parents must list starting point,
destination, end point and the purpose of the trip as well as the number
of miles traveled.� Completed forms are
submitted to the Bangor Community Care �Attn: Reimbursements.
Cellular
& Telephone Calls:
Community Care will reimburse foster
parents for cellular and telephone calls made to arrange or schedule treatment
related services for children in placement.�
Treatment related services include doctor/medical appointments, dentist
appointments, calls to the child�s biological family members, and calls to Community
Care staff after normal business hours.�
1. Community Care
will reimburse business calls at $.10 per minute or the actual cost per minute,
whichever is lower.
2.� To calculate the rate to be charged to
Community Care per minute
����� a.� Traditional Telephone bills:� Take the long distance charge divide by the
long distance minutes, this equals the actual rate per minute.
b.
Cellular Phone Bills � Minutes Itemized: Take the total of the bill; subtract all other charges (i.e. insurance,
special features, etc) that are not related to calls, as other charges are the
individual�s responsibility.� Divide the
total charges for outgoing calls by the total minutes of service. The
reimbursement rate will be the lower of actual cost per minute or $0.10 per
minute. ��
Example:
The total cell phone bill was 19.95
with a plan charge of $15 for 200 minute, insurance $1.95, special feature is
$3.00.� The calculation would be as
follows: $19.95 - $1.95 - $3.00 = $15. The $15 is divided by 200 minutes =
$0.08. The $0.08 is the rate Community Care will reimburse for business calls.
c. �Cellular Phone Bills �
Minutes Not Itemized: �If you are on a plan such as 500 minutes for
$35 ($35.00 divided by 500 = $0.07). This is the rate Community Care will
reimburse per minute for business calls. If there are minutes over the base
plan, add $35 plus cost of calls over the 500 minutes and divide by the total
number of minutes.� The reimbursement
rate will be the actual cost per minute or $0.10 per minute, whichever
is lower.
3.�
Requesting Reimbursement
a.�
When the cellular
or telephone bill is received, highlight the business calls and identify the
individual or agency called. Please write the name of the contact beside the
telephone number. This is required for audit purposes.
b.
Add the minutes of calls made
for Community Care business.
c.
Community Care will reimburse business calls at $.10 per minute, or the
actual cost per minute, whichever is lower.
Multiply the calculated rate per
minute (see above for instruction) by the total number if reimbursable
minutes.� This is the total amount you
are requesting to be reimbursed.
d.��
Complete a foster parent reimbursement form, just as you would to submit
for mileage.
e.��
Attach the original copy of the cellular or telephone bill to the foster
parent reimbursement form.
f.��
Send the receipts and the foster parent reimbursement form to the Bangor
Community Care Attn:� Reimbursements
Clothing
Allowance:
The Department of Health and
Human Services provides a clothing allowance to most children in
placement.� This means DHHS pays Community
Care a clothing allowance for each child in placement, and then those funds are
in-turn paid directly to the foster parent. Community Care does not pay out
clothing allowance fund until funds have been received from DHHS.� Community Care does not pay clothing
allowance for a child who is not in placement.�
Funds received from DHHS for a child not in placement are reconciled
back to DHHS.
Placement Payments:
Per diem payments are made
directly to the contracted foster home. The rate is established by the DHHS
level of care (LOC) assessment process. All children in DHHS custody, who have
not been previously assessed through the LOC process within a one-year period
prior to initial placement, will be admitted at the LOC-C ($45.00/day) rate
until an initial LOC assessment has been completed by DHHS.�� If a child has an established LOC within the
one-year period prior to placement, the reimbursement rate at the time of
placement will coincide with the child�s established LOC. For children who are
not in DHHS custody, a contracted rate must be agreed upon, and documented, by
Community Care and the funding source prior to placement.� No reimbursement may be made to a foster
parent who is not licensed and contracted with Community Care.� Foster parents are paid biweekly at the
assessed level for the number of days the child is in placement.� No request for reimbursement is required.
Other Types of Reimbursements:
Any other types of
reimbursement must be pre-approved or it may not be paid.� Most expenses incurred by foster parents are
included in the daily rate.
All reimbursement requests must be submitted within 60 days
of the date the expense was incurred.�
Fiscal year end expense must be submitted for payment by July 30.