Improving Access to Care with School-Based Health Centers
The National Conference of State Legislatures, May 2017 LegisBrief, focused on school-based health centers and how they are improving access to care for students across the nation.
The publication highlighted the fact that the presence of an SBHC improves educational and health status in low income communities, while also being associated with higher grade point averages, increased immunizations, and an increase in other preventative services.
It also laid out Medicaid's role in supporting school based health centers. Currently, only thirteen states support medicaid reimbursement for SBHC's, yet it would be cost effective for more state medicaid programs to support SBHC's; SBHC's can save state medicaid programs anywhere from $30 to $969 dollars per visit.
The publication also mentioned Maryland and the creation of the Council on the Advancement of School Based Health Centers.
"Several states, such as Nebraska and Maryland, have created advisory councils to ensure stakeholder interests are met or to promote integrating school-based health centers into state and local health education systems."