Statement on the Use of Medicaid in Schools
A school’s primary responsibility is to provide students with a high-quality education. However, children cannot learn to their fullest potential with unmet health needs. Increasing access to healthcare services through Medicaid improves health care and educational outcomes for students. Providing health and wellness services for students in poverty and services that benefit students with disabilities ultimately enables more children to become employable and attend higher education.”
The National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP) supports the use of Medicaid as an appropriate and cost-effective source of funds to help pay for essential services for Medicaid eligible children. We assert that Medicaid funds can and should be used in the schools to help pay for Medicaid eligible services to Medicaid eligible children, including students with disabilities. Medicaid funds, combined with other funding sources, contribute to the delivery and enhancement of services for Medicaid eligible children.
NASISP represents highly qualified professionals who may be providers of Medicaid-eligible services. Many of these health services remove barriers to student learning and are essential to academic success. Additionally, schools are a crucial point of access for such services. As such, Medicaid-eligible students should continue to have access to Medicaid-eligible services through the schools.
NASISP does not condone fraud, waste, and abuse of Medicaid funds. We will continue to work with our organization members in the appropriate use of Medicaid dollars to ensure that waste, fraud, and abuse do not occur.
NASISP actively supports expansion of state Medicaid programs to maximize state and school district funding for children’s health programs, ESPDT, Child Find, and special education and related (SISP) services that are proven to improve educational outcomes.
NASISP sent a letter to Congress in 2017 to oppose harmful changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would result in federal cuts to Medicaid.
RESOURCES
Medicaid in Schools
Medicaid's Vital Role for Schools and Students
Georgetown Univerity Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families
Cutting Medicaid: A Prescription to Hurt the Neediest Kids (January 2017)
The School Superintendents Association (ASA)
Medicaid Helps Schools Help Children (April 2017)
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Importance of Medicaid Funding for Children and Youth
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)