IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System

1. IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System A New Way To Pay

2. What’s it all about: • The IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System is an alternative to mailing the Child Care Certificate to the local CCR&R at the end of each month • The Telephone Billing System will help providers get their payments quicker

3. How it Works • If providers call the Billing System instead of mailing a Certificate to the CCR&R: • The information gets into the State’s payment system faster • No mail delays in getting information to the CCR&R • The payment information may be entered 7 days a week, 24 hours a day • The provider gets immediate confirmation that their payment has been entered

4. How it Starts • All current licensed home and license-exempt home providers of approved cases will be mailed a notice for the new Telephone Billing System and a Child Care Telephone Billing Agreement form on a phased-in schedule • The provider will mail the completed agreement to their local CCR&R

5. Newly Approved Providers • At the time new providers are approved, CCR&R staff must mail them a notice for the new Telephone Billing System and a Child Care Telephone Billing Agreement form

6. Processing the Agreement Form • After the CCR&R receives a completed and signed Telephone Billing Agreement form from the provider, staff must enter a “Y” for IVR Agreement on the Provider F12 screen on the Child Care Tracking System (CCTS)

7. Start Up Package • The CCR&R will mail a Telephone Billing System start-up package to all providers that return a completed Child Care Telephone Billing Agreement form

8. Learning the System • The package includes instructions on how to use the system and practice certificates for the provider to enter on the system • The provider must call the number listed on the instructions and enter the practice certificates

9. The provider must complete the practice certificates successfully in order to bill over the phone The system will mail the provider an “Important Child Care Password Information” notice after the practice certificates have been entered Provider Passwords

10. Provider’s Password

11. Confirming the Password Letter • CCR&R staff may confirm that a Password letter has been sent to a provider on the Provider Forms List screen which is accessed through the F12 screen of the Child Care Tracking System

12. What is Needed • Providers will need the following items before calling in their billing information: • Their SSN or FEIN • Their password • Their Child Care certificate, completed and signed by both the provider and the parent

13. Calling the Billing System • To submit billing information, the provider must dial 1-800-787-9316 • TTY callers may dial 1-800-787-9318 to access the system • The Billing System is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

14. Entering Information • The provider may enter information either with the phone key pad or by voice • Once a reply using the phone key pad is made, all information must be completed using the key pad • The system can be accessed in either English or Spanish

15. Verifying the SSN • The Billing System will ask the provider for their Social Security Number (SSN). They must enter either their: • Social Security Number (SSN) or • Federal Employers Identification Number (FEIN) • This must be the same number used on the Child Care Application and W-9 Form

16. Verifying the SSN • The system will confirm that the SSN is on the Child Care Tracking System (CCTS) • If the number is not correct, or is not listed on the CCTS, the provider must contact the CCR&R

17. Enter the Password • The system will also ask for the password. This is the number that is located on the letter IDHS sent the provider Provider’s Password

18. Lost/Forgotten Passwords • If the provider has lost or forgotten their password, or would like to change it for any reason, they must call the Telephone Billing System • The provider will receive a new password letter in the mail with their password information

19. Address Verification • If the address on the certificate is not correct, the provider must change it on the certificate, complete the billing information (including signatures) and mail it to the CCR&R. • If the address needs to be changed, the provider cannot use the Telephone Billing System 1420

20. Address Verification • The Child Care payment will be sent to the address listed on the certificate

21. When to Bill • The system will ask if the provider would like to enter a certificate for any of the past four months that have been approved but not yet billed for • Information cannot be entered for a service month before the end of that month

22. When to Bill • The earliest a provider can bill is 6:00 AM the first day of the following month • They cannot enter billing for March until 6:00 AM April 1 or later

23. The First Case • After a service month has been selected, the system will state the first case name • The system will ask for attendance information for each child approved from the first family

24. Eligible Days • If the provider is licensed, they will be asked to confirm the total number of full time and part time days the child was eligible for care during the month of service • Licensed exempt providers will not be asked about eligible days. They will only need to enter the number of attended days

25. Adding Eligible DaysFor Licensed Providers • If the child attended more days than the number of eligible days, the telephone system cannot be used • Providers must complete and mail the paper certificate to the CCR&R, noting the change in eligible days and the reason • For example, increasing the eligible full time days by 1 due to a school holiday

26. Reducing Eligible DaysFor Licensed Providers • If the child was eligible for fewer days than approved, licensed providers may enter the new number of eligible days in the system • For example, if the child stopped attending the provider’s before the end of the month, they may reduce the number of eligible days

27. Attended Days • The system will ask both licensed and license-exempt providers for the number of full time and part time days the child attended • This will be repeated for each child approved in this family

28. Last Month of Care? • After information has been entered for the last child approved on this case, the system will ask if the provider is still providing care for the family • If they are not, the provider must enter the last day care was provided

29. Last Month of Care • All payments that are indicated as the provider’s last month of service will go onto an Incomplete Payment list screen on the CCTS

30. Incomplete Payment List Screen • CCR&R staff will be required to review payments on the Incomplete Payment List screen daily

31. Incomplete Payment List Screen • Other types of payments that will appear on the Incomplete Payment screen include: • OVRPYMT = The provider has an overpayment balance • NOTCERT = The provider is no longer certified on SAMS • IVROUTST = The provider entered a “Y” for still providing care for the family but the provider’s address is not in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri or Kentucky

32. Information Review • The system will then review the information that was entered • The month of service and the number of full time and part time days entered will be confirmed

33. Additional Families • If there are additional families approved whose billing information has not yet been entered, the system will ask about the next family • If not, the billing process is complete for this month

34. Additional Months • If the provider is approved for earlier months that have not been entered yet, the billing process will start again for each of those months • After all months are completed, or if the provider chooses to skip those months and enter them at a different time, the call will end

35. The Child Care Certificate • If billing is completed by phone, the provider SHOULD NOT mail the certificate to the CCR&R • Both the provider and the parent must sign the certificate and all information on the certificate must be complete • The provider MUST keep the certificate for five (5) years

36. How the Payment is Made • When payments are entered for a case using the Telephone Billing System, the payment goes directly to the CCTS and IDHS Vouchering Unit • Information is then sent to the State Comptroller’s office where the warrant is printed and mailed

37. Child Care Tracking System • The F2 and F3 screens of the Child Care Tracking System will indicate that the payment was entered via the Telephone Billing System • A detail screen of the payment will still be available for CCR&R staff to view

38. Incomplete Entry • If a provider does not fully complete the entry of a certificate, the information that was entered will be used to make the payment • In order to receive additional payment for that case and service month, the provider must submit a Supplemental Billing

39. Tracking Payments • Providers may track the status of payments through the IDHS Payment Inquiry Line by calling 1-800-804-3833 • TTY callers may dial 1-877-434-1082 to access the system

40. Tracking Payments • The Payment Inquiry Line is updated every day at 4:00 AM • Providers should wait two working days after entering billing information before checking the Inquiry Line for that payment

41. Tracking Payments • The Payment Inquiry Line tells when a payment was entered (either through the Telephone Billing System or by the CCR&R), when the payment was approved (vouchered) by IDHS, and when the Comptroller’s office has mailed the check

42. Thanks for learning about the IDHS Telephone Billing System. We appreciate your continued partnership and for sharing our mutual interest in providing quality child care services Slide show developed by Michael Jones