Governor's Proposal to Expand School Health Centers

Health care is a critical and growing problem in California, particularly for our most vulnerable children. Many children do not have access to quality services or a consistent source of primary care, which results in many children and youth coming to school everyday suffering from conditions that seriously impact their ability to learn and to succeed. School health centers are a key healthcare delivery mechanism because they put healthcare where the kids are--in schools. At his July 2006 Healthcare Affordability Summit, Governor Schwarzenegger announced a goal of establishing 500 new school health centers in elementary schools. CSHC is working with the Administration to provide advice and support for this effort. To learn more, please click here.

SB 564: School Health Center Expansion Act of 2007

Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas from Los Angeles has introduced a new bill, the School Health Center Expansion Act of 2007 (SB 564), which is co-sponsored by CSHC with the California Primary Care Association and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. This bill would establish a grant program to support new and existing school health centers through the office established last year by CSHC's bill AB 2560 (Ridley-Thomas). For more information about the bill and how you can help create the first-ever California grant program for school health centers, please click here.

Mental Health Services Act

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Prevention and Early Intervention component is new state funding for counties to develop accessible mental health services for vulnerable populations. Because school health centers are a promising (and increasingly popular) model for delivering accessible mental health services to vulnerable children and youth, they are well-positioned to secure this new funding. Click here to learn more.

School-Based Medi-Cal Reimbursement Program (MAA)

In late December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) put forth changes to the Medicaid program that would negatively impact program participants and providers, including eliminating reimbursement for school-based administrative activities and transportation services (MAA). This regulation will have severe negative consequences for school-based health services in California. A six-month moratorium has been placed on 2287's implementation, extending the program through June 30, 2007. In March, Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) introduced HR 5613, the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008. Shortly thereafter Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a companion bill, S. 2819. Both House and Senate bills would put a one-year delay on the recent CMS regulations, including CMS 2287 which would eliminate the school-based Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) program effective June 30th.

HR 5613 moved through both Houses with veto-proof bipartisan support.  However, it was held in the Senate because it is believed that President Bush will not sign it, and although the votes were present to overturn a Presidential veto, it is likely that many of the Senate Republicans would not want to challenge the President on this issue. The strategy then shifted and the same language was added to the supplemental Iraq war funding bill, a strategic move given the war funding bill is considered to be a “must pass” piece of legislation. The war funding bill passed the House of Representatives on June 19, 2008, with the MAA language included and is expected to pass the Senate and move on to the President before the July 4, 2008, recess. To stay up to date on the status of this issue, click here.