ACCES-VR

Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation

Guidelines to Providers for Completion of VR-370 Monthly Service Report - Effective 1/1/09 - Issued 3/23/09

Guidelines to ProvidersWord Document Icon and SamplesWord Document Icon are also available in Word.

Introduction

The VR-370 Monthly Service Report is the billing report that is mailed to your agency during the first two weeks of every month.  This report lists all ACCES-VR consumers who are currently receiving your services and have a valid authorization for those services with ACCES-VR. (See sample # 1Word Document Icon)

Authorizations for services written and finalized by ACCES-VR counselors prior to the last day of the reporting month will result in a VR-370 Report being generated by NYSED’s ITS (Information Technology Services) Office.  These reports are mailed to each provider for completion.  The report is then mailed by the provider to each District Office where services are purchased.

In order to receive payment for services provided, the VR-370 Report must be completed and mailed to the ACCES-VR District Office listed in the top left-hand corner of the report.  VR-370 Reports are mailed by provider for each District Office you serve.  However, since providers often work with consumers from more than one District Office, it is extremely important that you separate this report by District Office.  Each section must be mailed to the corresponding District Office address or payment may be delayed.

The VR-370 Report should also be used as a “communication device” between your agency and your ACCES-VR District Office.  Use this report to request end date extensions that have been previously approved by the ACCES-VR counselor.  ACCES-VR staff will make notes on this form before returning it to your agency after processing. Therefore, please review the report when you receive the photocopy back from your local office.

Current Reporting Month

Start and End Dates:

  1. Start date must be the first actual date that service was provided during that month as long as that date is on or after the authorization start date.
    1. Note:  Services cannot begin until the ACCES-VR authorization has been received by the contract agency.
    2. No verbal authorization from the counselor or other ACCES-VR staff will be accepted.
    3. There will be no backdating of authorizations.
  2. End date must be the last actual date that service was provided during that month.
    1. End date extensions can be requested on the report, if necessary.  However, these extensions should be requested from the ACCES-VR counselor before the original authorization expires.
  3. If two authorizations are open for the same consumer:
    1. Enter start and end dates on first authorization that correspond with the units being reported on that authorization.
    2. Use all units on the first authorization before reporting on the second authorization.
    3. Enter start and end dates on second authorization that correspond with the remaining monthly units.
      Example (see sample # 2 Word Document Icon):
      1. A/V# 7000000 is for 1/1/09 – 4/12/09 and 8 units remain to be reported.
      2. A/V# 7000001 is for 4/1/09 – 6/30/09 and 65 units are available for reported.
      3. You are reporting 20 units for the month of April 2009.  These units should be entered as follows:
      4. A/V# 7000000   4/1/09 to 4/12/09   8.00 units
      5. A/V# 7000001   4/13/09 to 4/30/09   12.00 units
    4. Overlapping service dates must be processed by district office staff on separate days.  This may result in a delay of payment for the second line of service if the VR370 data is entered on the last business day of the month.
  4. Reasons for Non-processing of Units by ACCES-VR Staff
    1. Start date of reporting is prior to the authorization start date.
      Example (see sample # 3Word Document Icon):
      1. A/V# 7000002 is for 3/12/09 – 6/30/09and 65 units are available for reporting.
      2. You have entered the following information on the VR-370 Report:
      3. A/V# 7000002   3/6/09 to 3/31/09   14 units
      4. The reporting start date is prior to the authorization start date.  Units   should not be reported for 3/6-3/11/09.
    2. End date of reporting is after the authorization end date.
      Example (see sample # 4Word Document Icon):
      1. A/V# 7000000 is for 1/1/09 – 4/12/09 and 8 units remain to be reported.
      2. You are reporting 8 units for April 2009 and have entered the following information on the VR-370 Report:
      3. A/V# 7000000  4/1/09 to 4/30/09  8.00 units; Request for end date extension to  4/30/09.
      4. While entering this information, ACCES-VR staff has found that this case was closed on 4/13/09.  End date cannot be extended beyond the closure date.   ACCES-VR staff will request correction from provider.

Units of Service

  1. Enter number of units provided to the consumer during the current reporting month.
  2. The number of units entered cannot exceed the number of units available.
    See sample # 5Word Document Icon.
    Note:  If the District Office did not receive the previous month’s VR-370 Report in a timely manner, the units available may not reflect the actual balance.

Cancellation of Balances

If a consumer is no longer in an authorized program or has been moved into a different program for which a separate authorization has been received:

  1. Place a mark in this space if the balance of the authorization units should be cancelled by ACCES-VR.  This mark should be clearly visible (either in red or high-lighted) so the ACCES-VR staff does not overlook this entry.
    See attached sample # 6Word Document Icon.

One-Time Deliverables

One-Time Deliverables are services, provided by an individual or agency, that are not reported based on attendance but rather by a Performance-Based reporting system.  Placement Services would one such “deliverable”.  The unit authorized for this service is always 1 (one).  The date of service would be the actual date the service was provided.

Example:
An Independent Job Developer has been authorized for four lines of service for a specific consumer.  The authorization shows 921X Job Placement Level II – Direct Intake, 929X Job Placement Level II – Job Seeking and Development Services, 931X Job Placement Level II – Job Placement and 932X Job Placement Level II – Job Retention Services.  The Job Developer met with this consumer on 5/15/09 for the Direct Intake.  The VR-370 reporting would be as follows:

Start date:  5/15/09
End date:  5/15/09
Units:  1.00

In some instances, a service e.g. assessment may be authorized but paid upon delivery.  If the authorization appears on the VR 370 but not delivered enter a zero (0) for each month until it is delivered. Then enter 1 unit as delivered.

Please be aware that these units will not be processed unless the written report has been received with the VR-370 Report document.

No-Shows & Drop-Outs:

  1. No-Shows Billing Procedures:  Unless otherwise noted in Appendix B of the contract or in the Services and Definitions document, no-shows may be billed for one half hour of direct service, or if there is no hourly rate, a flat rate of $30.00 will be paid provided the contract service provider meets the following three criteria:
    1. vendor sends a written or email confirmation of the date and time of the initial visit for a service;
    2. the provider must wait for the consumer for 30 minutes after the scheduled appointment time;     and,
    3. within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time, the provider must notify, in writing, the consumer’s counselor or senior counselor that the consumer failed to keep the scheduled appointment.  The notification should include the following:  provider’s name and contract information, consumer’s name, the service being provided, and verification notice sent confirming initial visit.
    4. Upon billing for a no-show, the remaining amount of the authorization becomes null and void.
    5. To receive the $30 no-show fee, the original authorization must be canceled and the counselor must write a new authorization with the primary code (i.e., 110) with the support code “D”.  This new authorization will appear on the next VR370 report to bill against.
  2. Drop-Out Documentation Requirements:  Unless otherwise noted, to receive partial payment for consumers who drop-out prior to completion of the approved authorization, the vendor must provide the following:
    1. depending upon the type and level of service, completion and submission of service requirement such as a report, evaluation, proof of attempt to secure on-the-job training (OJT), work try-out (WTO), work study or internship/externship, mileage sheet, or benefits checklist for any portion of the service that was actually provided to the consumer; and,
    2. a VR370 showing the number of hours the vendor actually spent with the consumer providing the authorized service.
    3. Upon billing for a drop-out, the remaining amount of the authorization becomes null and void.

Previous Reporting Month

ALL reporting from previous months (for consumers with open authorizations for those months) MUST be entered on the final page of the VR-370 Report.  This includes all corrections from previous month’s VR-370 that could not be processed by ACCES-VR staff.  Reminder:  There is no backdating of authorizations.

  1. All information must be completed for every service line being reported.
  2. Columns should be completed as follows (see sample # 7Word Document Icon):
    1. Client ID refers to the consumer’s ACCES-VR ID Number that is printed in the top right-hand corner of the authorization.
    2. Nme/Chk will be the first three letters of the consumer’s last name.
    3. Auth-Num is the seven-digit number that is printed in the top right-hand corner of the authorization (A/V Number).  This number always begins with the number 7.  If it does not, please call your District Office for corrections.
    4. Line # is the specific line number on the authorization for which units are being reported.  If multiple lines are being reported on the same authorization, each line must be entered separately.
    5. CS/Code is the case service code ACCES-VR has assigned to the specific Agency service.  This appears in the first column of the authorization and corresponds with that line number’s service information.
    6. Start/Dte is the first day of the reporting month that service was provided.
    7. End/Dte is the last day of the reporting month that service was provided.
    8. Units are the number of units being reported for the month listed.

Note:   Service start and end dates must be within the same reporting month.  DO NOT enter the start date in one month and the end date in a different month.  This will result in non-processing of these units and will be returned to the contract agency for correction.

  • Correct: 
    • A/V# 7000003   3/1/09 – 3/31/09   15 units
    • A/V# 7000003   4/1/09 – 4/30/09    20 units
  • Incorrect: 
    • A/V# 7000003   3/1/09 – 4/30/09   35 units

 

  • Your ACCES-VR liaison will notify you if your VR-370 Report was not received.  If you did not receive this notification, DO NOT RE-ENTER INFORMATION FROM THE PREVIOUS REPORTING MONTH ONTO THE NEW MONTH’S VR-370. 
    • This simply means that ACCES-VR staff was not able to enter the reporting information before the end-of-the-month cycle was run due to late receipt of VR-370, computer system problems, etc.
    • Units will be updated on the next months report.

Payments for Individually-Authorized Consumer Services

Periodically, an electronic file of contracted services, which have been reported and entered by the local ACCES-VR office, will be electronically transferred to Fiscal Management. On a monthly cycle, these transactions will be accumulated and processed as payment requests to OSC as long as your VR 370 reports are submitted to the ACCES-VR District Office in a timely manner.
All vendors will be paid monthly for those services that were reported on the VR 370 on the 15th of the prior month. As a general rule, services not properly reported by the 15th of any month will be picked up in the payment in the subsequent month.
Some important provisions of the automated payment methodology are:

  • Providers will get a check monthly for all services provided, reported and entered by ACCES-VR prior to the monthly deadlines;
  • Vendors will receive a remittance indicating consumer name, consumer amount paid and authorization number;
  • Vendors who are on electronic payment will receive a remittance via email indicating which authorizations were included in the payment along with the notice of deposit;
  • Services which are not submitted and entered by the deadline will be picked up in the following period’s reimbursement;
  • Vendors will continue to receive the Cumulative Utilization Detail Report electronically of all authorizations for the contract year; and
  • Vendors can also go to the OSC website to obtain a remittance advice. You should have the ACH trace number and employer identification number to look up the information.

In order to maximize the efficiencies of this payment methodology, we are requiring all providers to register for electronic payments. To do so, please visit the OSC website at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/epay/index.htm.

If your agency moves or the individual handling the payment process in your agency changes, please advise ACCES-VR immediately on your agency letterhead or payments may  not be processed timely. 

NOTE: Your payment is also contingent on the timely submission of the necessary program reports, consumer progress, attendance, evaluation reports, etc. which are routinely sent to ACCES-VR Counselors.  Future performance measurements will also monitor timely submission.

Monthly Utilization Report

ACCES-VR has developed a UCS Utilization Detail Report which has cumulative totals for case services, units, and dollars by service and consumer.  It is distributed in the first week of each month.  Providers will be able to verify their records from the Utilization report and determine if any units were not claimed on the VR370 reports. Vendors must notify ACCES-VR of any changes to the email address to which the Utilization Report will be sent. Please send your agencies email address updates to : UCS@mail.nysed.gov, with your contract number and “Utilization Report Contact Change” in the subject line.

Important Additional Information

  1. The last business day of every month, VR-370 reports are updated.  The first business day of every month, VR-370 reports are printed and then mailed to the contract agencies.
    1. If the VR-370 has not been received by the 15th of the month, please call your District Office contact.
  2. By the 15th of the month, contract agencies should have completed all entries on the VR-370 and mailed the report to the District Office listed.  If the District Office receives the VR-370 after that date, units may not be entered in time for payment.
    1. Please be aware of the volume of paperwork and the processing time-restraints on ACCES-VR staff.
    2. Please mail VR-370 as soon as possible after completion to ensure ACCES-VR staff adequate time to enter all billing.
  3. ACCES-VR staff will contact the contract agency if the VR-370 has not been received in the District Office by the last week of the month.
  4. By close-of-business on the last business day of that same month, ACCES-VR staff should have entered all information from the VR-370 report for all reports received on time.
    1. Once again, please be aware of the processing time-restraints for ACCES-VR staff.
    2. Late receipt of the VR-370 report could result in data-entry after close-of-business on the last business day of the month.  This will affect “Units Available” totals on the new month’s VR-370 and will affect the payment for that month.
    3. If you did not receive notification from the ACCES-VR contact that the completed VR-370 Report was not received by the District Office, and the new month’s VR-370 “Units Available” does not reflect a change from the previous month, DO NOT RE-ENTER INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS MONTH ONTO THE NEW MONTH’S VR-370.  If necessary, contact the District Office to verify the previous month’s VR-370 Report was indeed received.

Please notify ACCES-VR with your agency’s reporting contact including name, e-mail address and phone number.  If your contact changes, notify your ACCES-VR District Office contact immediately.  The Contract Unit in Central Office must also be notified to ensure the VR-370 is mailed to the correct person.

The VR-370 Report must be signed and dated before mailing to the corresponding ACCES-VR District Office.  Even if there are no entries for a particular month, please sign, date and mail the VR-370 Report to the District Office.  This keeps all records accurate and current.

Last Updated: February 8, 2011