U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, along with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), announced that the state has been selected to receive funding to improve school-based health services.
Medicaid and CHIP cover more than 41 million children, and this program presents an opportunity to provide health care for kids where they spend a significant amount of time -- at school. The rationale is that some care is easiest to provide at school, such as preventive medicine, mental health care, physical and occupational therapy, and disease management. Providing care at school can help ease transportation for parents, reduce stigma and missed school-time., a press release from Sen. Smith's office explained.
The funding was made available by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is legislation aimed at curbing gun violence and mental illness in schools. Both senators supported the legislation in Congress.
Using Medicaid to address gaps in school-based health services has been a key strategy utilized by public health experts in recent years, the press release added. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid awarded the funds to support Minnesota’s plans to allow schools to provide more services to children, especially those in rural and other underserved areas.
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