First Focus on Children submitted the following comment to Dr. Miguel A. Cardona, Secretary of Education and Katherine Neas, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the U.S. Department of Education to provide our support for the proposed revisions to 34 CFR 300.154(d)(2).
Excerpt from the Comment:
Medicaid and CHIP cover over 42.1 million children. 1 They are essential programs for meeting the physical and behavioral health needs of children. This is especially true for children with disabilities, including those receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Many children with disabilities receiving services under IDEA are also enrolled in Medicaid due to their disability status and/or based on their household’s income. By the Department of Education’s own estimation nearly 300,000, or 56%, of children with disabilities are covered by Medicaid or CHIP.