For some, experts said it also means it is time to verify their child’s Medicaid status. A little more than half of kids in the Commonwealth between ages 3 and 11 receive well-child visits, and around 43% of adolescents between 12 and 17 see a doctor annually, according to Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families.
Eva Stone, nurse practitioner and district health manager for Jefferson County Public Schools, noted health professionals can spot issues that can affect a child’s academic performance, as well as keep chronic conditions at bay.
"They need to be healthy to be in school," Stone explained. "But they also need to be healthy to successfully complete school, so they can be healthy all through their adult lives."
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends annual physicals, immunizations, and ensuring that conditions like asthma and allergies are managed in collaboration with school staff at the start of each academic year.
Stone stressed that schools can also help support families with the Medicaid enrollment process, pointing out that the Commonwealth lost around 10,000 children from its Kentucky Children's Health Insurance program over the past few years, mostly due to procedural reasons. She added parents should double-check their child’s status, especially because schools can bill for services provided to students with Medicaid.
"School nursing services, for example," Stone outlined. "In our district, we administer vaccines and mental health services."
Medicaid also plays a critical role in Kentucky’s rural hospitals and ranks in the top 10 among states for the most children, adults, and seniors covered by the program, according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.