IEP Specialized Transportation Program FAQs

What will a district need to do to participate in the IEP Specialized Transportation Program?

Schools will need the following to participate in the IEP Transportation Program:

  • Sign a Cooperative Agreement
  • Participate in the Random Moment Sampling (RMS) through the SDAC program and participate in the Direct Service Cost Report program.
  • Submit Fee-for-Service IEP Specialized Transportation claims for on-going interim payments to MMIS
  • Determine applicable annual transportation ratios
  • Gather Cost Data for allowable transportation costs
  • Submit annual Cost Report/Reconciliation and certification of costs
  • Maintain program compliance and participate in desk reviews
Who is responsible for providing training material and training SDAC Coordinators/Financial Contacts?

Fairbanks LLC is responsible for the development of all IEP Specialized Transportation training materials and training SDAC Coordinators/Financial Contacts.

Should the school district bill the distance from the student’s home to the school, or do they bill the actual number of miles on the route?

Mileage should be billed from the point at which a student boards the bus and to the point at which the student exits the bus at the location of where the IEP service will be provided.

When will school districts be allowed to cost settle?

The annual transportation cost report will open for submission 1 year after the plan year (July 1 – June 30) ends.

Refer to Section 5 of the School-Based IEP Specialized Transportation Provider Manual for more information on the annual cost settlement report. 

Are school districts required to participate in the IEP Specialized Transportation program?

A school district’s participation in this program is voluntary. If a school district participates and submits fee-for-service transportation claims for reimbursement, they must also participate in the direct service program by submitting fee-for-service claims for MHD approved school-based direct services supported with specialized transportation.

Participation in this program also requires participation in the statewide Random Moment Sample (RMS), which is administered through the SDAC program, and participation in the IEP Direct Services Program and cost settlement process.

Who does a school district contact if they are interested in participating in the IEP Specialized Transportation Program?

A school district representative may request the Cooperative Agreement by calling the MO HealthNet Division at (573) 751-9290 or by email at MHDSchoolPrograms@dss.mo.govor by mail at:

Department of Social Services
MO HealthNet Division
Program Operations Unit
P.O. Box 6500
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-6500

Should all one-way trips be included in the numerator and denominator of the one-way trip ratio?

Yes, the numerator should include all Medicaid eligible IEP one-way trips and the denominator should include all IEP one-way trips.

Refer to Section 5.3 of the School-Based IEP Specialized Transportation Provider Manual for more information.

Is electronically tracked data acceptable in place of a signature on the IEP Specialized Transportation Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Log?

No, signatures are still required on the NEMT Log of the staff member responsible for the documentation on the log.

Refer to Attachment B in the School-Based IEP Specialized Transportation Provider Manual for an example of the Specialized Transportation Log and Instructions.

Does an aide on a bus qualify as an adaptive vehicle?

No, the presence of an aide on the bus to assist children is part of the responsibility of the school system and does not make the bus specially adapted.

Could a smaller bus required as part of a child’s IEP be considered a “physical adaptation” and therefore make that an eligible trip for any student on the bus who meets all other criteria for specialized transportation?

The smaller bus would need to have a physical adaptation that is specific to the transportation needs listed in the child’s IEP as a required service in order to be considered an eligible trip for any student on the bus.

If a bus with an adaptation specific to one child on the bus also carries other children who meet criteria for specialized transportation, do the other children qualify to be included in the one-way trip counts as well as for billing?

No, the other children would not qualify to bill for that trip or include the trip in the district’s ratio unless the student’s IEP specified the need for the specialized transportation being provided.

Revised October 2024