House Committee Hears Push to Tie Parental Consent to Medicaid-to-Schools Care plans

Senate Bill 34, which would require parental consent whenever a student's Medicaid-to-Schools care plan is created or changed, drew hours of testimony at a House Education Policy and Administration Committee hearing.

Sen. Ruth Ward, R-8, the Senate sponsor, told the committee the bill would "provide transparency, protect parental involvement, and ensure continuity of care" for adolescents and young adults who receive medically related services in schools. Ward said the change responds to concerns after federal proposals in 2023 that, she said, could have removed parental consent requirements for some services.

Supporters and opponents agreed on one central change: the amendment presented to the committee replaces the bill's original trigger—changes to a billed ICD-10 service code—with a requirement to obtain consent for a new or updated care plan. Christine Stoddard, representing Bi-State Primary Care Association, and Betsy Burdes, chief operating officer at Amaskeag Health, told the committee that tying consent to diagnosis codes would be administratively unworkable and could force providers to…