Children who are healthy and have access to the care and treatment they need are better able to enter school ready to learn and to remain engaged in the classroom. A strong Missouri Medicaid program ensures that low-income students in Missouri have the comprehensive, continuous health coverage they need to focus on learning.
Medicaid ensures that kids come to school healthy and ready to learn.
- Nearly 1 in 3 school age children in Missouri rely on Medicaid for health coverage, making a strong Medicaid program key to ensuring children are healthy and ready to learn.
- In many Missouri school districts, particularly in rural and urban areas, well over half of all students are enrolled in Medicaid.
Medicaid also supports school infrastructure by providing funding for:
- Health services needed to support students with special needs through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Screenings, diagnoses, and treatment services for students from low-wage families through the Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Benefits (EPSDT) benefit, including vision and hearing screenings, and diabetes and asthma diagnosis and management.
- Salaries of school staff such as school nurses and counselors who provide reimburseable services to students.
- Services provided through school-based health centers, including behavioral health services for students.
