Medicaid in Schools: Poor Oversight and Improper Payments Compromise Potential Benefit

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the issue of Medicaid expenditures for school-based health services and administrative costs, focusing on the: (1) magnitude of states' claims for school-based health services and administrative activities; (2) appropriateness of the methods used to determine how much Medicaid pays for these services; (3) extent to which school districts directly benefit from federal Medicaid reimbursements; and (4) the adequacy of the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) oversight of school-based claims.