Expanding Access to School Health Services to Meet Student Need
Healthy Students, Promising Futures supports states and school districts in leveraging Medicaid funding to meet the health needs of students.
Since 2015, almost a third of all states have expanded Medicaid coverage of school-based health services to include all eligible health services provided to all Medicaid-enrolled students. These states are aligning with federal policy to increase access to — and sustainable funding for — physical, behavioral and mental school health services.
Yet even within states that have expanded coverage, many schools face challenges when seeking Medicaid reimbursement, including the burden of determining which school health personnel the state Medicaid program deems “qualified” for Medicaid reimbursement.
The HSPF initiative offers clear guidance and regularly updated resources on expanding school health services. Learn about school Medicaid programs in every state using an interactive map, and view policy briefs and case studies.
HSC staff are available to respond to queries about state programs and the national school Medicaid landscape.
Supporting States With Technical Assistance
HSC provides technical assistance to states committed to expanding school health access and educates school and policy officials about changes to Medicaid policy.
A key component of this work is the HSPF Learning Collaborative. State teams are offered a unique opportunity to share challenges and solutions and to engage directly with Medicaid policy experts and HSPF’s national partner organizations.
To date, more than 350 individuals from 15 states have participated in the learning collaborative, including representatives from state Medicaid, education and public health agencies, school districts, and national and state organizations. Learn more about HSC’s impact in this field.
Our Work in Illinois
HSC also works closely with school districts in its home state of Illinois. In 2021, HSC launched the Medicaid Expansion for School Health (MESH) Learning Collaborative to assist school district teams from across the state in developing and implementing strategies for expanding Medicaid billing for school health services and using the additional funds to provide new services and supports for students.
