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Senate
Hears Medicaid Testimony
Big-city school districts provide a vast array of health and
medical services on a daily basis to tens of thousands of special
needs students — essential to an equal educational opportunity for
these children, as well as required under the federal Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Testifying before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee April 5,
Susan Sclafani, chief of staff for educational services with the
Houston Independent School District, captured the essence of the
issue stating, ``Unfortunately, the existing public health system
has been unable to provide adequate health services to Houston's
at-risk populations, particularly our low-income and disabled
children. The school nurse is often the only health
professional the student sees."
Also testifying was the General Accounting Office (GAO), the
investigative arm of the Congress, which pointed to the
difficulties in administering the school-based Medicaid program and
to disturbing evidence of improper practices by some states,
schools, and consultants hired by schools.
The administrator of the national Medicaid office acknowledged
the GAO findings and defended proposed new guidelines, which
national education groups have labeled as unnecessarily restrictive.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth (R-Del.)
underscored the Committee's commitment to federal aid for proper
school-based Medicaid services, but expressed frustration and
impatience with complexities inhibiting school participation and the
continuing improprieties that were identified nearly a year
ago. | 
