February 15, 2007
Bill Would Assure Medicaid Reimbursement for School-Based Health Services to Children with Disabilities

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said yesterday that legislation he has proposed in the Senate "recognizes the importance of schools as a site of delivery of health care" and would ensure that children with disabilities can obtain health services during the school day. Kennedy said his bill, S. 578, the "Protecting Children’s Health in Schools Act," is a reaction to provisions in the Bush administration’s proposed budget for 2008 that would end Medicaid reimbursements to schools "for support services they need in order to provide medical and health-related services to disabled children." Kennedy charged that the administration's budget "says NO to any legitimate reimbursement to schools for costs incurred for administrative duties related to Medicaid services" and for services to children such as specialized transportation. Kennedy also said that the budget decision by the administration "follows years of resisting Medicaid reimbursements to schools that provide these services, without clear guidance on how schools should appropriately seek reimbursement." He said his bill calls for "clear and consistent guidelines to be established, so that schools can be held accountable and seek appropriate reimbursement." He estimated that $3.6 billion in Medicaid funds would be involved over the next five years. The bill, S. 578, can be read and followed at http://thomas.loc.gov.