Children from low income families are hard hit under Republican proposals to cut the Medicaid program by more than $800 billion by imposing per capita caps and block grants. Children comprise 35,781,107 of all Medicaid enrollees, and receive important health screenings and services through Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. By detecting and treating health issues in children early on, Medicaid helps ensure that children from low income families can learn grow and thrive.
School-based health services provide children services, including routine vision and hearing screenings, speech therapy, mental and behavioral services and counseling, and supports for children with disabilities. Many special education services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are funded through Medicaid.
Proposed cuts to Medicaid, however, would shift the burden of paying for these important services from the federal government onto school districts and state governments already facing budget crunches. To meet federal requirements to provide special education services, schools will likely cut other programs, while states may need to raise additional revenue or cut other state services if federal Medicaid funding is cut.
The Senate is now developing its version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) which, as passed by the House of Representatives, would impose Medicaid block grants and per capita caps and repeal or weaken key components of the Affordable Care Act. NHeLP has joined with allies in an educational effort to stop these proposed cuts. “Medicaid in Schools” is a coalition including national and state advocates such as the School Superintendents Association and the National Association of School Nurses. The Coalition is meeting with Hill staffers to educate them on Medicaid’s important role in providing school-based health care, and the devastating consequences of funding cuts through Medicaid per capita caps and block grants.
To support state advocates, NHeLP has prepared new fact sheets on Medicaid’s impact in schools. Since Congress is using an accelerated budget process known as “reconciliation,” Republicans only need 51 votes in the Senate, instead of the usual 60, to fundamentally undermine Medicaid which has effectively served low income populations since 1965.