The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is worried about a little-noticed consequence of the Affordable Health Care Act. The GOP proposal cuts Medicaid, which helps cover services for indigent special education students.
Under the newest version of the AHCA , the district could lose between $1.3 and $2 million from Medicaid. Cleveland schools rely on the money to cover costs for personnel such as school nurses and audiologists, and for other services for special education students, says district policy and labor liaison Michele Pomerantz, during a press conference.
“Let’s say you have a daughter and she needs services for the hearing impaired. She would not only get those services, but because she is Medicaid eligible, we could bill back those to Medicaid to get reimbursed for the money you are owed as a deserving member of Medicaid.”
The schools can’t cut services because they’re required by federal law. So Pomerantz says other programs could be reduced to make up the shortfall.