Community College Medicaid
"This is an exciting opportunity to identify sustainable funding to ensure that all community college students have access to affordable healthcare. I urge my community college colleagues to participate.”
--Keith Curry, Ed.D., President/CEO, Compton College
Made possible by the generous support of ECMC Foundation and The Kresge Foundation
Improving Student Health by Boosting Medicaid Engagement by Community Colleges
The Need
Growing Needs, Limited Resources
Today's community college students face growing physical and mental health needs.
Community colleges have limited resources to meet growing healthcare demands.
Barrier to
Success
Lack of access to affordable physical and mental healthcare can lead to lower college completion and job placement rates for students.
Untapped
Resources
Significant and sustainable healthcare funding is available through Medicaid. But most community colleges do not access these funds.
Millions of student health dollars are being left on the table each year.
About the Project
Improving Student Health by Boosting Medicaid Engagement
There is an ongoing health crisis in the community college sector. Exacerbated by the pandemic, the crisis has resulted in high rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, food insecurity, and more. Colleges often struggle to address these needs. Fewer than half of students experiencing a mental health condition receive mental health services.
Community colleges play a key role in the delivery of health services to students. But even though many community colleges offer student health services, only a small fraction bill Medicaid for any of the eligible services they offer.
Every college should have access to Medicaid funds in order to ensure student health and well-being. Increasing colleges’ participation in and optimal use of Medicaid to offset costs and generate recurring federal revenues can help remove healthcare access as a barrier to postsecondary completion and build the capacity of institutions to sustain student health funding.
Comprehensive Database
We are building a first-of-its kind national database that will quantify community college participation in Medicaid.
Online Data Platform
We are developing an online data platform that will enable college administrators and policy makers to view each community college's Medicaid reimbursement data, and create scenario-based projections for potential future revenues.
National Report
We are compiling a national report that will describe the current landscape of community college participation in Medicaid, and that will identify considerations for policy and practice to increase community college participation in Medicaid.