Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) www.stabenow.senate.gov and Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) https://sarbanes.house.gov have introduced the “Hallways to Health Act” in the House (H.R 1027) and Senate (S.356) www.congress.gov to help establish School-Based Health Centers (SBHC).
The legislation introduced on February 13, 2017, would help predominately low-income and medically underserved children and adolescents by increasing the availability and quality of primary care along with behavioral and oral health services.
Section 2 in the proposed legislation would establish a grant program to use community health workers as peer educators and coordinators to improve access and adherence to care plans administered in SBHCs.
These grants would enable medical personnel or health organizations to implement programs in the community, provide information on available resources, provide social support and informal counseling, advocate for individuals and community health needs, and provide first aid and blood pressure screening.
The funding would enable data to be collected to help identify community health needs. Data would then be analyzed to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments.
Section 3 in the proposed legislation would establish and expand demonstration programs to provide telehealth services at SBHCs. Funds could be used for new services or for expanding preexisting telehealth services which would be an allowable service.
Section 4 assures payment under Medicaid and CHIP for covered items and services furnished by SBHCs. For reimbursement purposes, under the state plan, SBHCs would be treated the same as items and services provided in a physician’s office at an outpatient clinic at the same capitation or risk-based rate of payment.