Attention ALL P3 providers in NYC

miami85

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 6:14 pm

Quote:

Is this problem because of mistakes you made in your billing or are they not paying even if you do everything right? I'm looking to do p3, but this info is really turning me off.

They've been problem-prone before, but they typically paid "on-time" if you did your stuff correctly.This time they messed up big-time by being disorganized and starting new systems before perfecting old ones so that NO ONE is on the same page, and causing a major payment backlog.
It was bad enough that last year in September I filled out my invoices on forms my district sent me, but I put Sept & Oct together, so she sent back them to redo, then I sent Sept, OCt, Nov together--by that time they came out with a NEW invoice form so I had to REDO Sept, Oct, Nov and didn't get my first check until January.

This year they've outdone themselves.

1)They sent out bad P4 forms to parents (at least out of my CSE office--had to redo all of mine)
2)They started requiring typed invoices this year when they allowed hand-written ones until now.
3)They started requiring people use this vendorportal--which isn't a new system, but first time SETTS providers are getting involved
4)They are starting to require direct deposit (PETs system)

2-4) --They haven't TOLD anyone about this, they are just waiting for people to call them--its not even on the NPSP website (it's telling ppl to use an even newer invoice form that doesn't even fit the whole month (huh?)--but in the email with the approval it says to use the invoice in the middle of the page (double huh?)
5)They were only "just starting" to process Jul/Aug payments in NOVEMBER b/c they didn't TELL anyone that they were requiring typed ones. They were *even working overtime* to get the payments out.

6)Because they were late with the summer, and then Sandy, they were even later with the school year ones--but they are requiring the other things before they even start processing the payments.

It seems that they are working "month by month" instead of according to when you submitted your invoices--which doesn't help me b/c I submitted my September ones on time, but b/c of the bad P4 letters they made me redo it and I by the time I resubmitted them it was already December. October I also submitted on time, but also had the "Bad" P4 letters. And no one's giving me a straight answer IF/WHEN I'll have to resubmit those. I submitted November first week of December--at this rate who KNOWS when I'll get payment for that. ETC. ETC. ETC.
My husband has told me to "quit"--but it's not like jobs are abundant right now and what I have would provide us decently IF WE EVER GET PAYED!

naomi2

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 6:37 pm

I'm also so frustrated!!! all the other p3 providers that I know haven't been paid either. I'm worried that they'll never pay....

runninglate

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 6:53 pm

wow! Are ppl working through agencies getting paid? You should all go on strike, tell the parents you won't service the kids anymore, and have them call to demand you get paid...

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 6:58 pm

IMHO they wouldn't care if we strike, it just means fewer expenses for them with no P4 providers to pay.

I've been on direct deposit for a year or more already, and they sent me a letter telling me to sign up for that. It was pretty easy and not a bad thing overall. Other than that, my experiences have been pretty consistent with what miami85 wrote, just with different details. They gypped me out of hundreds of dollars last year because of fuzzy policy.

miami85

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 7:12 pm

They sent you a letter about direct deposit? Thats a chidush.

I think they will pay--but there's NO EXCUSE for the snail pace that they've established. I think the city needs to know about their incomptence and disorganization!

runninglate

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 8:05 pm

seeker wrote:

I think they would care. Parents would be furious, and they are legally entitled to these services. Maybe someone should contact a lawyer.

precious

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 9:13 pm

thanks - for reminding me to check on a couple of payments from last year, that I had to redo and sent in September, and I DIDN'T GET PAID!
so I guess I'll be phoning too...

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:22 pm

One bright light: My sub who sent her invoices in about 6 weeks ago just got them back with a note about the typing thing. So, not as good as getting $$$, but maybe this is a sign that some processing is happening on schedule because they seem to have looked at her invoices in a timely fashion. The instructions they sent her for working the new system are pretty clear, too. At least now I have a better idea of what I have to do (same as you told me, miami85, just without the hassle of calling around for the info). I still can't comprehend the reasoning behind any of this but at least as of now (until 6 weeks from now when I can see whether I've been paid on time or not...) I think I get how it's supposed to work.

When I need entertainment, I visualize a conference room in DOE headquarters... a fat, mustached man at the head of the table... Cruella DeVille at the other end... some henchpeople... plotting how to ensnare civilians in their red tape traps... a dreamy thought bubble appears over their heads: all the teachers in the city down on their knees pleading for mercy... volunteering a lifetime of servitude if only the hassles will stop... cigar smoke, too

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:31 pm

SO ANNOYING: The new excel invoice is .xlsx and I have an older version of Office and can't seem to download the converter x(

FAIL, DOE, FAIL!!!

amother

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:45 pm

I'm not a P3 provider, but wondering do you have to bill on SESIS like related services do?

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:48 pm

Until now, no. But frankly it would probably make a lot of sense for them to just go that way, that's probably where they're heading with all this runaround. Or something like that, anyway. I think they had us all sign up for SESIS a year or two ago, before this shtick, and never went anywhere with that. Just a threatening letter to sign up here or there or else.

shev143

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:50 pm

ok, I am a P3 provider and I have no clue what this SESIS is...can you clue me in?
Thank you

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:55 pm

Don't worry about it... you just need to pander to this year's shtick... I think

shev143

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 10:58 pm

So as long as I signed up with Rita V. I should be ok?
I never even heard of this SEIS?
I just thought that the late payments were bec of the new typed invoices and them having a new way of entering the info....

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:05 pm

So the excel invoice we have to use has start and end times... does this mean I need to make sure I match up with any other services the kids are getting? are they that coordinated? They used to just ask for the AMOUNT of time, not WHICH time, so that's all I'd been writing on my attendance sheet. Now I have a schedule all set up so I know what times they've been but earlier in the year it was much more random, I don't remember which times I saw which kids each day in September! AAAACK.

shev143

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:08 pm

YES, I think they are trying to catch pple. who mess up so they dont have to pay.
Heard of someone - I think an OT who billed same time as speech and they wouldn't pay her for whole month.

seeker

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:11 pm

BLEEEEEEEP.

I had a similar problem last year even though they weren't checking times; an unscrupulous school-based provider billed the max amount of time a student was entitled to. Meanwhile the student elected NOT to receive all the services in school and hired me to tutor her at home once a week. I did not receive a PENNY for this student because the other dingbat billed first and they told me *I* was going over the allotted amount of sessions. I wanted to kill someone but I didn't know who. I feel like this is asking for more trouble.

amother

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:15 pm

ladies, if you don't mind keeping this thread updated with what happens and how you actually have to do things because I am graduating in May iyH and while I already teach several hours a day, I would like to supplement with a couple of p3 sessions a week next year when the certification comes through. I don't think it will make a difference but my certification will be in adolescent special education (grades 7-12) Thank you!

shev143

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:15 pm

wow!
what happened to the proivider who was billing more than she was seeing?
Yes, I would say we must dot out is and cross our t-s bec. they are def. trying to catch any little mistake- so make sure there are none!

shev143

Tue, Jan 08 2013, 11:16 pm

Can you tell me what the sesis thing is?