Schools are a convenient point of access for children and adolescents with Medicaid coverage to receive health services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an important source of primary care and behavioral health care for students, particularly as communities seek to address an increase in behavioral health challenges among young people. This issue brief examines how Medicaid policies support or delay access to services provided by SBHCs.
It begins with an overview of SBHCs and discusses the sponsoring organizations for SBHCs, the different sites of service, types of behavioral health services that can be provided, and funding. The brief then highlights some of the challenges related to providing services in SBHCs, such as coverage for behavioral health services, limited data on SBHC services, payment rates, working with managed care organizations, referrals for specialty services, and consent for services.