FAQ

Most SOAR programs that have a hospital collaboration will work with the hospital’s billing department to collect information on reimbursed expenses for each SOAR applicant approved. Some are able to separate out Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements; others have just a total for all reimbursements. The information isn't any more complicated than: "We helped 100 individuals get approved for SSI/SSDI and the hospital has been reimbursed $500,000 in the past year in Medicaid/Medicare expenses for these individuals."  It can be helpful to also collect the totals for unreimbursed expenses for those same individuals for the year prior to approval to use as a comparison.  One SOAR provider looked at emergency room usage for the year prior and the year after approval to see if there was a reduction. They found a 24 percent reduction in ER usage and 52 percent reduction in psychiatric ER usage.

Some SOAR providers will meet monthly with the billing department and collect reimbursement data, others will do it quarterly.  We would recommend doing whatever works best for the staff at the hospital and the SOAR staff.  

Most states have laws that regulate what health care providers can charge individuals for copies of their medical records. However, these rules do not necessarily apply to providers requesting records. In addition, some states provide an exception for records needed to apply for a disability benefits program and stipulate that they be provided at no-cost. For more information on state statutes and regulations regarding the collection of fees for medical records, click here.

If your state does not require a fee-waiver, we recommend contacting the director of the medical records department and advocating for or negotiating one. Explain that the individual is homeless and that you, as a mutual provider, are unable to pay for the records. Let the director know that the records will be used for a disability application and that, upon approval, the individual will likely be eligible for Medicaid and/or Medicare benefits that will pay for uncompensated care that the provider has given as well as future care that is provided. Therefore, it is in the provider’s best interest for the individual’s application to be well supported and documented as an approval may lead to retroactive and future reimbursements.

In addition, offer to the director of the medical records department that you would be happy to write a letter to the administrator of his/her agency regarding how helpful the director has been as well as the potential financial recoupment that such collaboration will mean to the provider.

If they are unwilling to waive the fees, try contacting United Way or other community action agencies that may be able to pay all or part of the bill.

The CEUs offered by the SOAR Online Course are approved by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

We estimate that it will take 16-20 hours to complete the Online Course.  This includes the completion of the Practice Case in which you will submit an SSI/SSDI application packet for a fictitious client to the SOAR TA Center.

If you go back to the Practice Case in Class 2 you should be able to delete the documents you uploaded and re-upload the correct versions.  If you have already submitted your entire application packet in Class 7 you will not be able to make any of the changes online.  However, you can email the correct forms to soaronline@prainc.com. 

Individual providers can choose whatever title works best for themselves and their agency.  Some examples that we have seen include SOAR practitioner, SOAR benefits specialist, SOAR case manager, and SOAR specialist. Others will use their traditional title (e.g. social worker, case manager, outreach worker) and say that they are SOAR trained or certified in the SOAR process. 

1619(b) is continued Medicaid coverage for those individuals that were receiving SSI benefits prior to returning to work. You can find more information on SSA's website here: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/1619b.htm

The SOAR online course is available free of charge. Anyone interested in SOAR training is welcome to enroll at any time. The course is self-paced and you can receive support and assistance by contacting your SOAR TA Center Liaison or SOAR state/local lead.

Upon successful completion of the practice case in the SOAR Online Course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and 20 continuing education (CE) contact hours from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Once you submit your case study packet in Class 7, your application packet will be reviewed by SOAR TA Center staff who will provide you with feedback. If your application packet is complete and without major errors or omissions, you will receive your certificate. This can take up to 10 business days. If there are significant errors/omissions, you will be invited to revise your packet and resubmit it for a second review. If the errors/omissions have been corrected, you will receive a Certificate of Completion with your CEs.