The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is worried about a little-noticed consequence of the Affordable Health Care Act. The GOP proposal cuts Medicaid, which helps cover services for indigent special education students.
The district could lose between $1.3 and 2 million from Medicaid if the law is passed in its present form. Cleveland, like schools around the nation, relies on the money to cover costs for personnel like school nurses, audiologists, and for other services for special education students, said district policy and labor liaison Michele Pomerantz during a press conference.
“Let’s say you have a daughter and she needs services for the hearing impaired. She would not only get those get those services, but because she is Medicaid eligible, we could bill back those to Medicaid to get reimburse for the money you are owed as a deserving member of Medicaid,,“ Pomerantz said.
The schools can’t cut services, because they’re required by federal law. So Pomerantz said other programs could be reduced to make up the shortfall.
Others at the press conference included Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, who opposes the proposal.