In 1965, Congress added Title XIX to the Social Security Act with the passage of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. Along with Medicaid was the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid is a joint federal and state program to offer medical assistance to low income Americans and those with special needs. It is funded by both the federal government and each state.

When Barack Obama expanded Medicaid coverage as part of Obamacare to cover more people, he promised the states that the federal government would reimburse the states 50% of their Medicaid costs, but the last I knew, Obama’s federal government was NOT living up to that promise, leaving many states in dire financial situations and forced to make reductions or cuts to their Medicaid programs.

Although it is a federal program, each state is responsible for operating its own Medicaid program which means that different states have different qualifications and parameters.

Most of us think that Medicaid primarily provides health insurance and coverage for lower income Americans and those with special needs and disabilities. For the most part that is right, but about 10% of the $400 billion in federal funding for Medicaid is going to public schools.

How or why is this happening?

As reported:

“Gerardo Alejandrez used to punch classmates, throw chairs and curse at his teachers, conduct that forced him to switch from school to school. ‘I had a lot of anger issues,’ the 16-year-old said recently.”

“Then Gerardo entered a class at Oakland Technical High School for students who have mental health or behavior issues. In that classroom, the teacher gets support from Erich Roberts, a psychiatric social worker assigned to the group. Oakland Unified School District bills Medicaid, the nation’s insurance program for low-income residents, for Roberts’ services.”

“Those payments officially cover the time he spends — in and out of the classroom — providing therapy and other assistance for nine Medicaid-covered youths as well as meeting with their family members. Roberts’ presence in the classroom is also an asset for the teacher and four other kids in the class who are not on government insurance. Many of the students in the class would likely drop out without the extra help, Roberts said.”

A mere 10% of the total Medicaid budget doesn’t sound like much in the big picture, but to the individual school districts like Oakland Unified School District, without that extra Medicaid funding, they could not offer the programs and services for students like Gerardo.

Republicans are looking at ways to salvage Medicaid and Medicare by cutting some programs or aspects of the program. They say that the costs for these continue to increase every year and America cannot afford to continue to pay into them like they are now and still have the programs remain economically sound. Eventually, money will run out, which means some tough decisions that are bound to hurt some people, and many schools are afraid they may take a large part of that hurt, which will impact many students like Gerardo.

Is there a good solution? If you have one, I’m sure your US Senator and Representative will be more than happy to hear it.