Schools are an important setting for providing health services to children and adolescents covered by Medicaid, particularly as communities seek to address an increase in behavioral health challenges among young people. This issue brief focuses on Medicaid school-based services provided by personnel employed by a school or by a local education agency. It draws largely on recent federal guidance and stakeholder input to provide background information on key topics affecting school-based services for students enrolled in Medicaid.
It begins with an overview of school-based services and recent federal actions to reduce administrative burden and improve access to care in schools and then describes key concepts related to the financing and payment of school-based services as well as select factors affecting billing and claiming. The issue brief concludes by discussing considerations for further expanding access to care and Medicaid billing in schools.