Code of Maine Rules
10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL
Chapter 323 - MAINE GENERAL ASSISTANCE MANUAL
Section 144-323-XII - REIMBURSEMENT TO MUNICIPALITIES, REPORTING AND REQUIREMENTS
Universal Citation: 10 ME Code Rules ยง 144-323-XII
Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024
A. Reimbursement and Requirements
1. The Department will reimburse
municipalities for their direct General Assistance costs at the rate prescribed
by statute. Administrative costs are not reimbursable.
2. In order to receive reimbursement, a
municipality must:
a. Be in compliance with
all requirements of Chapter 1161, municipal ordinance and this
manual;
b. submit, in a timely
manner per sections B and C, below, claims for reimbursement together with the
necessary report forms;
c. certify
in writing that its claim for reimbursement does not include any General
Assistance payments made to individuals who did not meet the municipality's or
the state's eligibility requirements; and
d. provide with its reimbursement request the
names, alien numbers and numbers of assistance months for all General
Assistance recipients eligible as "pursuing a lawful process" included in that
request.
3. When a
municipality receives reimbursement from a client or another municipality
(which is not part of the Interim Assistance (SSI) Program), and the payment
has already been claimed to the Department for reimbursement, the municipality
must inform the Department.
a. This
reimbursement will be reported on the reimbursement form for the time period it
is received and the Department shall receive its share.
4. The value of workfare completed by
recipients will be subtracted from the reimbursement request.
5. Claims for reimbursement must be based on
assistance payments the municipality actually disbursed during the
reimbursement period, and must not include payments that the municipality paid
previously or expects to pay at a later date.
a. Municipalities that use the accrual method
of bookkeeping may need to keep separate records, so that reimbursement claims
for the last month of the State's fiscal year reflect only those payments made
through the last day of the month of the State's fiscal year.
B. Reporting and Reimbursement Procedure.
1. Reimbursement
requests may be submitted through the General Assistance Portal or by form. The
Department will provide to each municipality all necessary forms for
reimbursement as well as the opportunity to use the portal.
2. Reports shall be submitted monthly,
quarterly or semi-annually.
a. Municipalities
shall report on the same schedule as the previous fiscal year unless they
request and receive written authorization from the Department to change this
schedule.
3. The
Department will process for payment claims for reimbursement monthly, quarterly
or semi-annually, corresponding to the reporting schedule of the
municipality.
4. Claims for
reimbursement shall be processed by the Department in the order of their
receipt.
a. If there are insufficient funds to
fully process a claim, all available funds are to be used towards the payment.
i. The unpaid portion of such claim is to be
processed as soon as additional funds are available. Any unpaid balance will be
given priority for payment.
C. Deadlines for Reporting and Submitting Reimbursement Claims
1. Delinquency. The
Department is not obligated to accept or pay claims for reimbursement that are
not submitted within 90 days of the end of the period covered by the
report.
2. Good Cause. A
municipality may submit a claim of good cause for delinquency to the
Department.
a. If the Department determines
that good cause exists for the delinquency, it will reimburse the municipality
as otherwise provided by this section.
b. All requests for good cause for
delinquency must be received by the Department no later than the last day of
October for the previous fiscal year.
c. Any municipality aggrieved by the
Department's decision on good cause may appeal that decision as provided at
22 M.R.S.
§4323(4).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Maine may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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