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Congressional Action is Needed to Prevent the Administration From Eviscerating Efforts to Enroll Uninsured Low-Income Children in Health Coverage Through the Schools |
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From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: While deep disagreements have emerged between Congress and the Bush Administration in the debate over reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), all sides appear to agree that states should do all they can to enroll low-income children who are currently eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP. For some time, policymakers and administrators at all levels of government have recognized that the bulk of the eligible-but-uninsured low-income children attend school --- and consequently, that one of the best ways to reach and enroll them in health care coverage is through the schools they attend. It would force many states to curtail successful school-based initiatives to identify and enroll low-income children. The proposed rule also would eliminate federal matching funds for activities that states are required to carry out as part of Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) program to ensure that children actually obtain health care services once they are enrolled in Medicaid. States are obligated to inform families about the availability of EPSDT services and to help them access health care services for their children. In many states, school staff also help coordinate the care of those children enrolled in special education who have special health care needs. They conduct "presumptive eligibility" determinations, which enable low-income children who appear to be eligible for Medicaid to be enrolled for a temporary period while their parents complete the Medicaid application process. According to a school district official, if the school district's ability to receive Medicaid matching funds is eliminated, the program's survival will be in jeopardy.
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