Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Tell Congress: "Don't cut Medicaid funding for services for disabled students." - Network For Public Education

Tell Congress: "Don't cut Medicaid funding for services for disabled students." - Network For Public Education:

Tell Congress: “Don’t cut Medicaid funding for services for disabled students.”


Did  you know that many schools use Medicaid funding to help cover the cost of services to students in special education? Medicaid funding is used for speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education providers, school-based health services and assistive devices, such as wheelchairs. In some states, Medicaid dollars are used by schools for vision and hearing screening for eligible students.
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) estimates that districts receive about $4 billion a year through Medicaid funding. Read their informative booklet, which you can find here to find out how our most vulnerable students could be hurt by cuts.
Right now the House of Representatives led by Paul Ryan is debating whether to slash Medicaid or to shift it to a block grant as part of their “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act.  Neither choice is good for children. If a per-capita cap or block grant is enacted, schools would lose a dedicated funding source for services, and would have to compete with health care providers and hospitals for limited funds.
And all of this would be part of a budget package with large tax cuts for the rich.
We need you to act now.
1. Click here to send an email to your Congressperson.
2. Call todayCall your representative directly, or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
The message is simple.
Tell Congress to keep their hands off Medicaid funds for kids.
Thank you for all you do.
Now please post this link on Facebook.
Tell Congress: "Don't cut Medicaid funding for services for disabled students." - Network For Public Education: