School health services: Innovative funding strategies

Schools are often at a significant disadvantage compared to acute care and primary care facilities in eligibility for school health services financing. The numbers of children attending school every day with chronic health care and medically fragile conditions has risen logarithmically over the last 30 years. Yet care that is reimbursable in a health care facility is often not reimbursable or minimally reimbursable if provided in a school. Yet much of the care provided in school is mandated by the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A review of innovative funding strategies that have been successfully implemented by school districts across the country was conducted. School districts have maximized available funding for providing needed and mandated school health services through taxes, Medicaid reimbursement, third party billing, community benefit dollars for acute care facilities and grants. Those strategies will be described and suggestions for seeking similar funding opportunities will be described.