PROVIDENCE – Local education agencies across Rhode Island will receive $2.5 million in federal grants from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to support children’s health services in local schools, state officials announced Friday.
The funding is part of $50 million in Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funding spread across 18 states to help expand Medicaid services in schools. The R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services says although schools mainly provide education-related activities, the school setting offers a unique opportunity to enroll children in Medicaid and facilitate access to coverage as well as provide health services directly to any Medicaid enrolled children.
“School-based services play an important role in the health of children and adolescents,” R.I. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said in a statement. “[The R.I. Department of Education] is committed to supporting the whole child and share our gratitude with our state and federal partners working tirelessly to ensure our students and families have the resources they need to thrive.”
EOHHS spokesperson Kerri White told Providence Business News on Friday via email that all LEAs enrolled as Medicaid providers and the schools they oversee will benefit from the $2.5 million in funds in that they will draw down additional federal matching funds for health services they provide. Currently 57 out of the 66 LEAs in the state are enrolled as Medicaid providers, White says, and the grant will also help EOHHS support LEAs who are not enrolled to do so, making them also eligible for these federal matching funds.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.