1. ARMAC ARMAC Coordinator Training
ARMAC Program Overview
Reina Farley, ARMAC Program Specialist

2. Required Duties for ARMAC Coordinators
Monitor and maintain Participant Roster for district
Notify MITS of any changes to participants’ info such as inactive and active status, cost data, s, titles, etc.
Make sure all participants’ s are verified and they are actively participating in the quarterly time study.
Yearly submission of Participant Roster
Participants information is updated for the current school year.
All required training is completed before submission.
Roster is submitted by the deadline.

3. Required Duties for ARMAC Coordinators (continued)
New and Existing participant training
All NEW participants are trained and tested before submitting them to MITS to be added to the Time Study System.
All Existing participants complete the yearly required training by the due date each year.
Monitor quarterly Random Moments
All ed random moments are answered within the 10 day period.
All participants answer their moments correctly.

4. Moment Email Summaries – What are they for and why am I getting them?
Moment summaries are sent to all ARMAC Coordinators who have access to the Time Study System.
These summaries are used to monitor the daily activity of the random moments for each quarter.
All random moments and moment summaries are sent out at 6:00 AM

5. How do I check moments? What does each tab mean?
Incomplete – means the moment has been answered and is waiting for MITS to code it.
Missing – means the moment has been sent out but has not been answered yet.
Rejected – means the moment has been sent, answered by the participant, sent back to MITS for coding but it did not have enough information to code properly so MITS rejected it and sent it back to the participant with a question to be answered (to view the question you have to scroll through the “response history”)
Rejected and Incomplete - means the moment has been sent, answered by the participant, sent back to MITS for coding but it did not have enough information to code properly so MITS rejected it and sent it back to the participant with a question to be answered

6. Moment Email Summary example:
From: ADE Random Moment Time Study Admins To: (participants address) Sent Wednesday, September 28, :00 AM Subject: ***Important*** ARMAC District Coder Moment Summary Daily Random Moments Summary Statistics for School District – (your district name) Total Missing : 1 Total Incomplete : 0 Total Rejected And Incomplete : 0 Total Missing Moments for Today : 0

7. Yearly Rosters
Rosters are submitted at the beginning of each school year.
All participant cost data, , titles, names must be updated each year.
Additions or adjustments must be submitted on the Additions and adjustment roster found on our website under the ARMAC section/general program information. (these forms are used after the roster is submitted at the beginning of the school year)
Any participants that need to be made inactive throughout the school year must be submitted on the Inactive participant roster also found on our website under the ARMAC section.

8. Yearly Participant Rosters
Participant Roster for ____ School Year - __________
Instructions: Please update the roster below with the data for the (current year) school year. Please remember to fill in the addresses, position name and quarterly salaries and quarterly benefits for all participants. Please keep in mind that anyone whose funding is entirely derived from a federal funding source cannot be in the program. Please make sure ALL information is correct and completely filled in. Please note all NEW participants to be added must complete the online ARMAC Training and Post Test on our website under the ARMAC Section first.
District Name
First Name
Last Name
Address
Position Name
Current Year- Quarterly Salary
Current Year- Quarterly Benefits

9. Yearly Requirements for ARMAC
Roster submission at the beginning of each school year.
All NEW Participants must be trained, tested and cost data submitted to be added to program.
All Existing participants must complete the annual training. (Due by Christmas Break of each year)
All participants must have a verified address in the ARMAC Time Study System.
MITS must be notified of any changes to staff eligibility, cost data, address, names and title changes throughout the year.
Quarterly Claim Certification signed by the Superintendent/Coop Director must be received via mail each quarter in order to receive reimbursement funds.

10. Importance of Deadlines
All steps must be completed prior to each quarter in order to have a successful claim.
Participants Trained
Participants Tested (only NEW)
Cost Data Submitted to MITS
Participant’s address verified in the Time Study System.(this generally only applies to NEW Participants)
It is important for the roster to be current each quarter.
List of participants who need to be made inactive
Name changes
address changes (if the is incorrect, the participant will not receive their moment s)
Updated cost data (if data changes from state to federal or if participants receive a pay increase)

11. When deadlines are not met
When changes to the district roster are not submitted on time, adjustments have to be made to the quarterly claim.
If participants are not trained, tested, information received and keyed into the system and their s verified they will not be selective for the time study with all the rest of the active participants.
Moment s will still go out to inactive participants if we are not notified to make them inactive in the system.
If participant moment s are not answered, they are coded nonresponse and the district claim is decreased.
When a participant has two consecutive quarters of nonresponse moments their cost data is removed from the quarterly claim causing the claim to be decreased.

12. Contact Information
Reina Farley, ARMAC Program Specialist
1420 W. Capitol Ave., Ste. 425
Little Rock, AR
, option 2
Fax –
Website:

13. ARMAC Training Lydia Roberson ARMAC Training Specialist
Welcome back, everyone. My name is Lydia Roberson and I am the ARMAC Training Coordinator. This afternoon, I would like to explain the importance of the ARMAC training program, how to complete new participant training and testing, and how to complete the annual training. Lets start with an overview of our website, [Show slide 2]

14. www.armits.org Register on Our Website MITS Blog
Calendar & Upcoming Events
ARMAC Page
If you would like to stay up-to-date on all things armits, you should register on our website. [Go to This is our home page. To register, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the word “Register”. By registering, you will receive an when our Blog is updated. [Scroll up to show Blog] The Blog has information about trainings in your area, upcoming events (like the 2012 MITS Summit), Medicaid updates that effect schools, new billing procedures, and ARMAC information. [Click on Calendar of Events at top of page] Our Calendar of Events shows important dates and gives a brief explanation of what each event has to offer. [Talk about the beginning of the QII Time Study and the Summit]
And, our ARMAC page [Go to ARMAC tab] is there to help anyone involved with ARMAC and has special information for ARMAC Coordinators. At the bottom of the page there are guidelines and frequently used forms. As we look to the top of the page, there are important dates for the current quarter. The ARMAC page is also where you will find everything you need to know about ARMAC Training. [Show slide 3]

15. Why is ARMAC Training Required?
Federal Regulations
Helps participants understand the ARMAC program
Gives precise information for MITS to code
If annual training is not completed, it can affect your district’s reimbursement
Since ARMAC is a Federally Funded program, it is also Federally Regulated. These regulations require that all current ARMAC participants update their training once a year.
However, Federal regulations are not the only reason that annual training is important. It also helps participants understand the ARMAC program by reinforcing basic principles…
When ARMAC participants understand how the program works, they can provide more precise information when answering moments. That makes Reina’s job much easier 
Finally, if annual training is not completed by all of your current participants by the deadline, it will delay your district’s reimbursement.
[Go to slide 4]

16. New Participant Training & Testing
ARMAC Participant Training for New Participants
The ARMAC Training Post Test
Getting New Participants Entered Into the Time Study System
Quarter 1 Time Study Deadline
All new participants must be trained and tested before we can enter them into the time study system. [Go to ARMAC page] First they will click on the ARMAC Participant Training link on our website and watch the PowerPoint.
After viewing the PowerPoint, they will click on the Post Test link [Click on link] and enter their name, district, and address. When they have completed the test, they will need to click the “Complete Test” button at the bottom of the page. If they forget to click “Complete Test” their test will not be recorded. Also, if any questions are accidentally skipped, the test will not be recorded. [Go back to slide 4]
When we receive your Quarter 1 Roster, we will first check to be sure we have all of the required information such as first and last names, addresses, job titles, quarterly salaries, and quarterly benefits. If all of the information is complete, we will then check the training database to verify that any new participants have taken the Post Test. Then we are able to enter each new participant into the time study system.
The Quarter 1 Time Study Deadline USUALLY occurs during the first or second week of school. The date of the deadline is printed on the rosters that are sent to your district during the fourth quarter. All rosters must be received and all new participants must be tested or they cannot participate in the Quarter 1 Time Study. [Go to slide 5]

17. Annual Training for Existing Participants
ARMAC Annual Training
Eliminates the need to re-take the Post Test
Quick, Simple, and Online
Time Study Deadlines
You may be wondering, “What is an existing participant?” An existing participant is anyone on your Quarter 1 roster that isn’t new. This year we created an Annual Training just for current (or existing) ARMAC participants. This means that existing participants no longer have to re-take the Post Test!
The annual training is quick, simple, and online. [Go to ARMAC page] All an existing participant needs to do to complete the annual training is: click on the ARMAC Annual Training link [Click on link] and log in to the training, by selecting their district from the drop down box and entering their ARMAC ID number. A new box will pop up with their name, address, job title, and district. If that information is correct, they will click the “Continue” button. Then they will click on the “Click here to view video” link. The video lasts fewer than three minutes. So, in under three minutes all of your existing participants can complete their annual training!
All existing participants must complete their annual training by the Quarter 3 Time Study Deadline. This deadline is usually the Friday before Christmas break. Existing participants have from the beginning of the school year until the middle of December to complete their annual training.
I mentioned earlier that failure to complete annual training will delay a district’s ARMAC reimbursement. Right now, there are 65 districts that have not completed their annual training. For most of these districts, just one or two people are keeping them from being reimbursed in a timely manner for Quarter 2. [Go to slide 6]

18. Importance of the Training Database
Records & Retains All Testing Information
Creates Random ID Numbers
Documents All Annual Training
The Training Database holds all of the testing information for every ARMAC participant. Once a new participant clicks the “Complete Test” button, their test is automatically saved in the database.
The Training Database is also responsible for creating and assigning random ID numbers. Every time a new test is completed, the database assigns that participant with a random ID number that they will use next year to complete their annual training.
All Annual Training is also documented by the database. Once a participant has completed their annual training, the database records the date and time at which the training was completed. So, you never have to wonder if your participants have taken the Post Test or completed their Annual Training. [Go to slide 7]

19. ARMAC Coordinator Access to the Training Database
Available Online for All ARMAC Coordinators
ARMAC Coordinator Access to Participant Testing at
See Who Has Tested and Trained in Your District
One of the best things about the training database is that it is available to all ARMAC Coordinators. [Go to ARMAC page]
[Click on the ARMAC Coordinator Access…link] Each of you has your own password and ID number. But just to show you what the database looks like, [Log in] choose your district from the drop down box. Those of you with more than one district will have access to all of your districts.
By looking at this, we can see who took the post test (and when they took it). We can also see who has completed their annual training. The database can be sorted by any of the headings. So you can see when the last test was taken. Or you can see who has completed the annual training. You can also sort your participants alphabetically.

20. Contact Information
Lydia Roberson, ARMAC Training Specialist
1420 W. Capitol Ave., Ste. 425
Little Rock, AR
, option 2
Fax –
Website:

21. ARMAC Finance Jeanie Donaldson Tracy Starks
Welcome back, everyone. My name is Lydia Roberson and I am the ARMAC Training Coordinator. This afternoon, I would like to explain the importance of the ARMAC training program, how to complete new participant training and testing, and how to complete the annual training. Lets start with an overview of our website, [Show slide 2]

22. Reporting Participant Cost Data
Included participants should be from a state source of revenue.
Should be listed on the acceptable employee list.
When reporting the salary and benefit cost, please take the annual amount and divide it by 4.
Fee-for-service employees/contractors are allowed in the time study as long as they meet the above guidelines. Simply report the previous quarter cost to the district. This must be updated on a regular basis (see Quarterly timelines).
Please notify us as soon as you know a participant needs to be removed from the roster.

23. Verifying s
Cost data is only included in the district total once the participant verifies his or her address.
This step is often overlooked and can greatly affect the outcome of the district claim.
Be sure to notify us of any address changes.

24. Claim Calculation
The ARMAC reimbursement year follows the traditional state fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Typically operate a quarter behind (payments).
Takes approximately 4-6 weeks to get paid from CMS.
Claim Calculation is based on the following factors:
County Medicaid eligibility percentage,
District salary and benefit totals,
State-wide unrestricted cost rate,
State-wide discounted and non-discounted Medicaid percentages, and
50% FFP rate.

25. Adjustments Process we have to do on a regular basis
Based on adjusted district costs after a claim has already been determined.
Typically based on incorrect information being in the Time Study System… could be wrong costs, participant no longer working for the district, new funding stream, etc.
Amends current claim with the adjusted amounts.

26. Allowable Expenditures
We continue to side with the national recommendation of using it for health related activities and programming. The notion being that since these are the services ARMAC is measuring (and what you received reimbursement for), then that is how it should be used in the future.
Examples include, but not limited to the following: nursing supplies, nursing salaries, therapy supplies and salaries, computers for health related staff, health related training and or conferences, Coordinated School Health, School-Based Health Centers.

27. Miscellaneous Information
Catastrophic Occurrence is a state fund, thus employees being paid out of this can be in the program.
NSLA dollars are considered a state fund as well.
Though it is considered federal dollars, there is not a 27 month requirement to spend it.
A district does not have to claim Medicaid for direct services in order to claim for indirect services (ARMAC).

28. Common Participant Answers: Issues
Make sure to never answer with specific personal identifiable information such as a student’s name
Need more information than “conference”.. If a conference is health related, it has to be coded different which may make a difference in reimbursement
“eating lunch”.. If you are on duty eating lunch, this is a different code than if you are just eating lunch because it is your lunch hour
“school ends at 3:20”.. We understand, but if you are still working on something, it may be health related, please be more specific
“at my desk”.. Need more information
“on the phone”.. For instance, if you are a nurse, this will prompt us to ask more information, so please be more specific
VERY IMPORTANT – if you receive a rejected response, it will look a lot like an original response but you will have to scroll down and to see that it was rejected, we are currently working on re-formatting this, but a lot of times a participant will answer a rejected response the exact same way.. You will never receive a moment at the exact same time on the exact same date.. So if you notice this, that means it is a rejected response and we are looking for specification on your response

29. Medicaid In The Schools
Contact Information
Medicaid In The Schools
1420 W. Capitol Ave., Suite 425
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 375 MITS (6487)