HLS 10RS-3978 ORIGINAL
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Approved
6-21-10
Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST NO. 6
BY REPRESENTATIVE HARRISON
MEDICAID: Requests a study of the feasibility of La. Children and Youth Health Insurance
Program providing for reimbursement of health care services delivered at schools
A CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST1
To the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and2
Welfare to meet and to function as a joint committee to study the feasibility of the3
Louisiana Children and Youth Health Insurance Program funding school-based4
health services and to report the findings of the joint committee to the legislature5
prior to December 15, 2010.6
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Children and Youth Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP)7
is part of Louisiana's Medicaid program and is the largest provider of health insurance for8
children of low-income families in this state; and9
WHEREAS, LaCHIP ranks highly on a national basis among like programs in terms10
of enrolling eligible families; and11
WHEREAS, despite the success of LaCHIP in enrolling eligible families, health12
outcomes for children in this state are among the worst in the nation; and13
WHEREAS, Louisiana has poor outcomes not only in the physical health of children14
but in children's mental health as well; and15
WHEREAS, nurses in schools play a significant role in children's health care,16
administering medications and referring children to physicians and mental health services;17
and18
WHEREAS, school systems have Medicare and Medicaid provider numbers and can19
be reimbursed by these programs for services to eligible children; and20 HLS 10RS-3978 ORIGINAL
HCSR NO. 6
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WHEREAS, Medicaid funds school-based health services presently but on a limited1
basis, reimbursing school systems only for services rendered by nurses to disabled Medicaid-2
eligible children who require nursing services as outlined in the Individualized Education3
Plans (IEPs) of those children; and4
WHEREAS, IEPs are required by federal law to ensure that children with disabilities5
receive services necessary for academic success; and6
WHEREAS, expanding Medicaid reimbursement for school-based health services7
beyond a limited group of children with disabilities can greatly enhance overall medical care8
in the setting where children spend most of their day; and9
WHEREAS, strategic investments in children's health, such as expanding Medicaid10
reimbursement for school-based health services, can produce a positive and sizeable fiscal11
impact; and12
WHEREAS, such positive fiscal impact can result from the prevention of chronic13
diseases in childhood which diminish future adult productivity and are extremely costly to14
treat.15
THEREFORE, the Legislature of Louisiana requests the House Committee on Health16
and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to meet and to function as a17
joint committee to study the feasibility of the Louisiana Children and Youth Health18
Insurance Program funding school-based health services and to report the findings of the19
joint committee to the legislature prior to December 15, 2010. The committees shall engage20
the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Department of Social Services in developing21
the report, which shall provide information and data including but not limited to statistics22
on annual expenditures of Medicaid funds for school-based health services delivered in23
Louisiana for the previous five years, and a listing of all entities which have received24
Medicaid reimbursement for school-based health services delivered in Louisiana in the25
previous five years.26 HLS 10RS-3978 ORIGINAL
HCSR NO. 6
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Harrison HCSR No. 6
Requests the House and Senate committees on health and welfare to jointly study the
feasibility of LaCHIP funding school-based health services.
Requests that the committees report findings to the legislature prior to Dec. 15, 2010.
Directs the committees to engage the Dept. of Health and Hospitals and the Dept. of Social
Services in developing the report.
Requires that the report provide information and data including but not limited to statistics
on annual expenditures of Medicaid funds for school-based health services delivered in La.
for the previous five years, and a listing of all entities which have received Medicaid
reimbursement for school-based health services delivered in La. in the previous five years.