Passed by Congress on July 4, 2025. Three million Pennsylvanians are on Medicaid; 39% are children, 59% of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid.

This historic cut will greatly increase uncompensated care, especially at hospitals which are already fragile across Pennsylvania. In 2023 Pennsylvania paid hospitals $387 million to cover uncompensated care, just for children and adolescents, to prevent more hospital closures across the state.

The bill will also lower provider reimbursement, where Medicaid rates are already so low that many practices don’t accept Medicaid, and it will significantly decrease Pennsylvania’s federal funding while increasing administrative expense to re-certify Medicaid recipients’ eligibility every 6 months rather than annually. It is more important than ever to support SBHCs as the safety net for children and teens.

Spotlight on a New SBHC

The SBHC team that now serves both Columbia Middle and High School and Park Elementary in Columbia, Lancaster County are off to a great second year. In just one day they kept the school nurse from sending 4 different asthmatic students to the hospital, worked intensively with one student whose diabetes is dangerously uncontrolled, and performed sports physicals so students could participate in sports.

Parents use a QR code to complete the consent form online. The Union Community Care SBHC is integrated within the nurse’s suite in each school where they provide vaccines and well-child check ups needed for school enrollment, they can draw blood and do lab work as needed, and collaborate with the school and parents to ensure everything students need to be in school, on-time, and ready to learn.

PSBHA’s founding board member Dr. Liz Miller stepped down from the board this summer amid major transitions with her research in light of federal cuts to science. Her contributions to school-based health centers in Pennsylvania and across the country over the last 30 years are immense and we are grateful for her leadership at PSBHA.

We also welcomed three new board members.

In May 2025, Representative Tarik Khan, along with 21 of his House colleagues, introduced legislation aimed at amending the school code to promote and integrate School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) within state and local health and education systems. The proposed bill, known as HB 1376, has been referred to the Health Committee for further consideration. This important legislation recognizes the vital role that SBHCs play in improving healthcare access for underserved populations and regions throughout our state. By standardizing these entities, we aim to ensure consistent and equitable health services for all students. If you notice that your state representative is not listed as a co-sponsor of this crucial legislation, we urge you to reach out and encourage them to support HB 1376. Together, we can enhance healthcare access for our communities. Thank you to Representative Khan and all co-sponsors for their commitment to this cause!

School Year 2024/2025 Data Snapshot

Please consider making a year-end donation to the PA School-Based Health Alliance to further and sustain our work to support SBHCs across Pennsylvania.