Feb. 26, 2026
Students succeed when they are healthy — and schools play a crucial role in improving and maintaining kids’ health. From connecting students with quality school health providers, direct services and critical screening programs, to providing assistive equipment and technology for students with disabilities, schools are vital access points for the essential health services, including mental and behavioral healthcare, that students need to be successful both in and out of the classroom.
But school health efforts and funding for student health services are under threat. Medicaid, which supports around $8 billion in school health services annually, faces the largest cuts in its history, totaling nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
This HSC webinar features a roundtable discussion with school health and education policy advocacy experts discussing the potential impact of federal cuts and state strategies to protect school Medicaid and support student health. Attendees had the opportunity to ask specific policy and advocacy questions.
Answers to all of the questions (including some that weren’t addressed live), are available.
View webinar questions, answers and resources >
Panelists:
- Stephanie Altman, Of Counsel, Legal Council for Health Justice
- Erica Monet Li, Health Policy Analyst, Florida Policy Institute
- Nikki Montgomery, Parent Advocate and Director of Strategy and Communications, Family Voices
- Karolyn Tregembo, Executive Director, Colorado School Medicaid Consortium
- Jessie Mandle, National Program Director, Healthy Schools Campaign
- Lena O’Rourke, on behalf of Healthy Schools Campaign
Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages