Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate advances substitute to allow Medicaid, private insurance payments for school-based clinical mental-health services
Summary
First substitute SB106 would authorize plan amendments enabling Medicaid reimbursement and permit private insurance billing for licensed clinicians providing clinical mental-health services in schools; sponsors said it adds guardrails for claims and does not change parental-consent code.
Senator Fillmore introduced first substitute Senate Bill 106 to enable reimbursement for clinical mental-health services provided to students through Medicaid and, in some cases, private insurance. The sponsor described the change as adding mental‑health services to existing school reimbursement frameworks used for occupational and physical therapy, saying it is a plan amendment rather than a waiver: "It is not a waiver. Simply a plan amendment," Fillmore said.
During floor questioning senators pressed for operational details — who authorizes services, how schools would bill private insurers, and parental consent rules. Fillmore replied that billing would follow existing insurer procedures and that licensed clinicians must be empaneled and that parental permission is required under current code. Acknowledging administrative burdens, Fillmore said districts could contract with private providers or employ clinicians directly and that participation would be optional for districts concerned about cost and administration.
The Senate adopted the substitute and ordered the bill read for a third time with the clerk recording 28 yeas, 0 nays and 1 absent. The measure moves forward with substituted language clarifying submission procedures and limits on denials.
