The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) received a $2.5 million grant to enhance a program that provides Medicaid-billable services to students in school. The investment could help more students and families connect with local health care resources.
School-based services include things like preventative health care, behavioral health and physical and occupational therapy for students on Medicaid. The students who receive them have an individualized education program, which plans education and support services for kids with disabilities and health conditions.
The grant is from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and 18 other states have received funding. OHCA applied with the Oklahoma State Department of Education as its sub-recipient, which will bid out smaller grants for schools to apply for money to build on state school-based services.
OHCA public information officer Emily Long said it will use the grant to enhance services by improving instructional manuals and toolkits and helping districts connect with mobile units and telehealth services.
Both state agencies will identify 10 school districts already successfully billing for school-based services and divide them into six regional support groups, including tribal and rural communities. Those districts will provide mentorship, training and support to other smaller districts that may not have had the opportunity to bill for these services.
The goal is to help get the services out to more people.
“This kind of really lays the foundation to be able to build a reliable support system for districts and students and their parents or caretakers to make sure that they're getting the services that they need,” Long said.
The grant funding started July 1 and will go through June 30, 2027.
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