Silver State Times

Nevada is among 18 states to receive a $2.5 million federal grant to expand Medicaid school health services over three years, potentially impacting over 36,000 Nevada children enrolled in Medicaid. The grant will offer technical assistance and streamline the process for schools to bill Medicaid to expand the program. School health services have a track record for advancing children’s health and improving educational outcomes, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which awarded the grant to Nevada Medicaid.

"I am pleased to announce that Nevada has been awarded a $2.5 million grant dedicated to improving our state's school-based Medicaid services," said Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. “This significant investment reflects our commitment to providing essential health care to our students, ensuring that they are supported both academically and personally. It marks a crucial step in strengthening these vital services for our children."

The State’s School Health Services program is a partnership between Nevada Medicaid, the Nevada Department of Education, school districts, and public charter schools. Nevada Medicaid covers health care services for children at school, including preventative health screenings, nursing care, rehabilitation therapies, and behavioral health care. While 10 of Nevada’s 17 school districts are enrolled, only nine are currently billing Medicaid with limited frequency.

“Billing Medicaid can be challenging for school districts because they are not designed to be traditional health care providers,” said Stacie Weeks, Nevada Medicaid Administrator. “This grant will help us streamline policy and draw on the expertise of private industry to help make billing Medicaid easier for schools.”

Once school districts see how easy it is to get paid for these services, the hope is that more will sign up to offer school health services statewide.

“Families will be able to obtain the care their children need and deserve in school settings, ultimately helping students and teachers succeed in the classroom,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Nevada is also one of six states selected by the National Academy for State Health Policy to participate in a national children’s behavioral health academy. This academy will provide targeted technical assistance, peer-to-peer webinars, and in-state visits in support of improving access to behavioral health care for Nevada children.

In 2023, Governor Joe Lombardo and lawmakers approved up to 15% of a new private hospital tax to be spent on behavioral health care through Medicaid, resulting in approximately $50 million to $65 million annually in new state revenue that can be matched with federal Medicaid funds for services. In alignment with the Governor’s strategic plan, Nevada Medicaid is prioritizing funds to support the establishment of new and expanded coverage for in-home and community-based behavioral health services for children who are at risk of or have complex emotional disturbance or Intellectual Developmental Disabilities as well as all children and youth in foster care. In the next biennium, this will result in over $200 million in new investments for children’s behavioral health care through Medicaid.

Schools interested in school health services and billing Medicaid can email: SchoolHealthServices@dhcfp.nv.gov. For other supports offered by the Nevada Department of Education, please email: SchoolHealth@doe.nv.gov.