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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Kathy Manderino |
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Manderino bill that would increase reimbursement rate for school nurses voted out of House Education Committee
HARRISBURG, April 11 – State Rep. Kathy Manderino, D-Phila./Montgomery, said a bill she sponsored that would increase the reimbursement rate for school nurses was recently voted out of the House Education Committee.
The legislation (H.B. 2408) would raise the reimbursement from $7 per student to $12 per student for nurse services provided. Funding for the higher amount would come through the state Department of Health.
"More and more children are coming to school with significant health care needs," Manderino said. "It’s not unusual for some children to attend school on a ventilator or with a tracheotomy. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of children requiring medication to be administered during the school day."
Manderino said both school districts and school nurses are finding that the talk of providing health-care services to students is increasingly changing and challenging. Many school nurses are required to travel among several buildings to attend to students and, in the event of an emergency, balancing student needs becomes increasingly difficult. The increased reimbursement would permit schools to hire more nurses and more appropriately provide for student needs.
"At a time when the legislature is discussing increasing the state’s commitment to our school districts, increasing the reimbursement for school nurse services is more than justified," she said. "This reimbursement has not been increased since 1991."
Manderino is co-sponsoring the legislation with state Rep. Katie True, R-Lancaster.
"Providing certain health-care services for students is required by the state, but schools are having a hard time retaining school nurses because they aren’t compensated adequately," Manderino said.
"Tightening budgets don’t allow the schools to keep pace with the costs of providing health-care services to all students. This legislation would help districts provide the health-care services necessary in a school setting."
The legislation now goes to the full House for approval.
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