AASA Call-to-Action: Save Medicaid in Schools
Action
alert: Save Medicaid in Schools
Yesterday,
Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced a bill that would
dramatically change Medicaid’s structure impact the ability of students with
disabilities and students in poverty to receive many critical health services
in schools that enable them to learn. These services include speech-language
pathology, occupational and physical therapy, mental and behavioral health
services, vision and hearing screenings, diabetes and asthma management and
wheelchairs and hearing aids
Schools are
able to provide these services, professionals and equipment because they can
receive reimbursement from Medicaid to cover the majority of these costs.
However, the Republican Medicaid plan “The American Health Care Act” would
dramatically change the financing structure of Medicaid and would jeopardize
the critical health care that students receive in schools.
AASA and 41 national education, healthcare, disability and child welfare organizations sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging members of Congress to oppose.
Under this
plan, every child would receive a capped amount of funding for their healthcare
needs regardless of how sick they are, how disabled they are or the services
they need to be healthy and learn. School districts may be totally cut out of
the Medicaid reimbursement process as States will be in the drivers’ seat except
they have 600 billion dollars less from the federal government to spend on Medicaid
eligible kids. Reliable healthcare experts believe this will lead to rationed
health care options for children, and cutting schools out of Medicaid
reimbursement is an obvious choice for States to make when dollars are scarce
and schools are competing with hospitals, primary care physicians and front-line
providers for limited resources.
Take
action now to stop America’s most vulnerable children from losing vital
healthcare services in schools.
Call your Senators and
Representative and urge them to reject legislation
that places arbitrary caps on how much Medicaid funding a child receives.
Call the House
Energy & Commerce Committee:
(202) 225-2927
Call the Senate Finance Committee: 202-224-4515
Call House Speaker Ryan: (202) 225-0600
Use
these talking points:
- As a constituent and a
superintendent, I oppose the passage of the American Health Care Act. Rather
than close the gap and eliminate the rate of uninsured children in America, the
current proposal will ration the health care America’s most vulnerable children
receive and undermine the ability of districts to meet the educational needs of
students with disabilities and students in poverty.
- Children represent 46%
of all Medicaid beneficiaries yet represent only 19% of the costs. Currently,
4-5 billion dollars flow to school districts every year, so they can make sure
students with disabilities who need the help of therapists can learn and that
students who can’t get to a doctor regularly can receive the basic medical care
they need to learn and thrive. The current proposal will jeopardize student's
ability to receive comprehensive care at schools and create barriers to
access.
- The American Health
Care Act would undermine critical healthcare services my district provides to
children. It would also lead to layoffs of school personnel, the potential for
new taxes to compensate for the Medicaid shortfall, and shifting general
education dollars to special education programs to compensate for these cuts.
WRITE
Your Elected Officials
Calling
is much more effective, but if you choose to write your elected officials, use
this template.
The Honorable [Name]
U.S. Senator/U.S Representative
[Office Address]
Dear Senator/ Representative:
As a constituent and a
superintendent, I strongly oppose The American Health Care Act, which would
radically change Medicaid as we know it through block grants, per capita caps,
or repealing the Medicaid expansion that has served as a lifeline to millions.
Specifically, a per capita cap
system will undermine states’ ability to provide America’s neediest children
access to vital healthcare that ensures they have adequate educational
opportunities and can contribute to society. Medicaid is a cost-effective and
efficient funder of essential health care services for children. In fact, while
children comprise almost half of Medicaid beneficiaries, less than one in five
dollars spent by Medicaid is consumed by children. Accordingly, a per capita
cap, even one that is based on different groups of beneficiaries, will
disproportionally harm children’s access to care, including services received
at school.
A school’s primary responsibility is to provide
students with a high-quality education. However, children cannot learn to their
fullest potential with unmet health needs. As such, school district personnel
regularly provide critical health services to ensure that all children are
ready to learn and able to thrive alongside their peers. Schools deliver
services effectively and efficiently since school is where children spend their
days. Increasing access to health care services through Medicaid improves
health care and educational outcomes for students. Providing health and
wellness services for students in poverty and services that benefit students
with disabilities ultimately enables more children to become employable and
attend higher-education.
The
current proposal would be devastating to schools and children, particularly
those children with disabilities. The American Health Care Act would undermine critical healthcare
services my district provides to children. It would also lead to layoffs of
school personnel, the potential for new taxes to compensate for the Medicaid
shortfall, and shifting general education dollars to special education programs
to compensate for these cuts.
I urge you to reject the American Health Care Act, and
any subsequent effort to significantly change the funding structure of
Medicaid.