Experts are warning that students could face more challenges accessing free school meals and school-based health services due to the recent budget bill passed by Congress. The bill, signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4th, includes significant cuts to federal Medicaid spending and shifts more of the cost of providing food assistance through SNAP to states.
The budget bill slashes federal Medicaid spending by 15% over the next decade, impacting the fourth-largest federal funding stream for schools. It also imposes work requirements on a greater portion of Medicaid and SNAP recipients, including some parents of school-age children for the first time. This could lead to states limiting eligibility for these benefits, affecting schools’ ability to provide free meals to students.
According to Lynn Nelson, president of the National Association of School Nurses, the funding cuts will have a significant impact on schools and families, exacerbating an already strained healthcare system. Some governors have already expressed concerns about their states being able to replace the lost funding on their own.
Under the new law, federal funding for SNAP will decrease by $186 billion by 2034, with states required to pay a percentage of the cost of food benefits. Similarly, Medicaid funding will be cut by over $1 trillion over 10 years, potentially leaving millions more uninsured by 2034. While the bill doesn’t directly impact children’s Medicaid coverage, research shows that children are less likely to be insured and receive regular medical care when their parents lack coverage.
The changes in funding for SNAP and Medicaid will force states to make tough decisions about eligibility and funding, affecting students’ access to free school meals. Programs like Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility and the Community Eligibility Provision, which automatically enroll low-income families and provide free meals to students, will be impacted by the cuts.
Anna Gassman-Pines, a professor of public policy at Duke University, warns that fewer people receiving food assistance could harm children’s education outcomes. Her research shows that students perform better in school when their families have access to SNAP benefits.
The new law also introduces work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries, potentially leading to fewer parents being eligible for these programs. Overall, experts are concerned that the budget bill will have a detrimental impact on students’ access to essential services and could worsen existing disparities in healthcare and education. Parents with children aged 14 and older will now face work requirements to maintain eligibility for both SNAP and Medicaid programs. While proponents of the new law argue that these requirements will incentivize more people to work, critics like Gassman-Pines believe that the reality is quite different.
According to Gassman-Pines, the work requirements often do not actually promote employment but instead create burdensome paperwork obligations for recipients. Many individuals end up losing benefits not because they are not working or participating in education or training programs, but simply because the paperwork becomes too overwhelming to manage. Additionally, states will now have the added administrative responsibility of enforcing work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
The implementation of these work requirements is expected to result in low-income families with teenagers losing their SNAP benefits, further exacerbating financial strain. The potential loss of Medicaid coverage could also have significant repercussions, particularly in the realm of healthcare and education.
Nina Nelson, president of the National Association of School Nurses, highlights two major consequences of the cuts. Firstly, if families lose their Medicaid coverage, they are likely to delay seeking medical care for their children, leading to potential health complications. Secondly, schools will be impacted as Medicaid is a key funding source for essential services such as nursing, physical therapy, and psychology. These services support students with disabilities and help schools provide on-site clinics for convenient access to healthcare.
The reduction in Medicaid coverage could ultimately result in decreased access to medical services and school-based support for vulnerable populations. With states unlikely to fully compensate for the loss of federal funding, the consequences of these cuts could be far-reaching and detrimental. It is important for policymakers to consider the potential implications of these changes and work towards solutions that prioritize the well-being of families and children.
