Medicaid School Billing for SLP Sevices: A Brief Tutorial

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 1903(c) of the Medicaid School Billing Act of 1988 were both designed to guarantee that children with disabilities receive services and products that would enhance both their educational experiences and their physical well-being. Before 1988, special education financing was the sole responsibility of the Office of Special Education; but as federal monies became scarce, many school districts nationwide were challenged to finance their own special education programs. For this reason, state educational agencies welcomed the change in federal law that permitted school districts to bill Medicaid for specific "medically necessary" health services. However, over the years, the practice of billing Medicaid for services in the educational arena has produced increasing concern regarding the appropriateness of Medicaid providing reimbursement for school-based services. This article addresses those concerns, and related recommendations, specifically in the context of school-based speech-language pathology services. Adapted from the source document