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Regular Session, 2011 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 161
BY SENATOR MCPHERSON
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to repeal the administrative rule
which requires a referral from the primary care provider in order for services
provided by a school based health center to a child under the age of ten to be
reimbursed by the Medicaid program.
WHEREAS, the Department of Health and Hospitals requires that in order for a
school based health center to be reimbursed for services provided to a child who is under ten
years of age that the child be referred to the school based health center by their primary care
provider; and
WHEREAS, this administrative rule is outdated and places an undue burden on the
school based health centers operated in this state since many centers still provide services
to children under the age of ten and do so without being able to obtain reimbursement from
the Medicaid program; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Health and Hospitals has included a significant
budget cut of state general fund support to school based health centers in the current year
appropriation bill with the expectation that this cut in funding can be offset by better billing
practices of the school based health centers; and
WHEREAS, school based health centers are impeded from maximizing
reimbursement through the Medicaid program because of the existence of administrative
rules like the one that requires a referral for services to children under the age of ten; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Health and Hospitals recently suspended a similar
administrative requirement for services provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers, and
consistent action on the current rule for school based health centers would be beneficial to
the further provision of health care services being provided at school based health centers. SR NO. 161 ENROLLED
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to repeal the
administrative rule which requires a referral from the primary care provider in order for
services provided by a school based health center to a child under the age of ten to be
reimbursed by the Medicaid program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE