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Subcommittee backs bill to help school divisions bill Medicaid; directs state to study barriers and provide a billing platform
Summary
House Bill 2,471 would require the Department of Education to contract for a Medicaid billing platform, survey divisions about current billing practices and convene stakeholders to identify barriers. The subcommittee recommended reporting the bill.
Lede: The Senate public education subcommittee recommended reporting House Bill 2,471, a measure intended to help school divisions — particularly smaller ones — bill Medicaid for services provided to students.
Nut graf: Sponsors said the bill responds to an earlier Medicaid waiver that allows schools to bill directly for some services, and aims to support divisions that lack billing capacity by directing the Department of Education to contract for a billing platform, survey divisions about current billing practices and convene the school health services committee to identify barriers.
Details: Delegate Resul presented HB 2,471. Committee members asked how this bill differs from a Senate bill (Sen. Srinivasan’s 1354); the delegate said the approach here is to provide data and a billing platform rather than hire additional DOE staff. Cat Atkinson of Voices for Virginia’s Children testified in support, urging use of Medicaid where possible to support students. The committee moved the bill and recorded a favorable committee vote (motion passed; the transcript records that the motion passes.)
What the bill would do: According to the sponsor’s description in the hearing, HB 2,471 would (1) require the department to contract for a Medicaid billing platform accessible to school divisions, (2) direct a survey of school divisions to identify what Medicaid services they bill for and can bill for, and (3) have the school health services committee work with local divisions to identify billing barriers.
Committee action: The subcommittee voted to recommend reporting HB 2,471 to the full Senate (motion and second; vote recorded as passing in the transcript). The sponsor and advocates said the measure targets operational obstacles that prevent divisions from using federal Medicaid funds already available for qualifying services.
Ending: The bill advances to the full Senate; local divisions and advocates expect uptake to depend on whether a platform and technical assistance are funded and implemented.
