Participation: Medicaid direct certification lifted school meal counts in Maryland
A Johns Hopkins study of 1,252 Maryland public schools, published in JAMA Network Open, found that after the state began direct certification with Medicaid in 2022-23, the share of students identified as eligible for free meals rose from 26% to 37%. That was linked to a 27% increase in schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision, and schools that became newly eligible for CEP saw a 22% increase in meal participation. The authors note federal Medicaid and SNAP changes could reduce identified students.
Why it matters for directors: Your identified-student percentage drives CEP eligibility and revenue. Confirm your state matches Medicaid as well as SNAP data, and rerun CEP math as enrollment rules change.
Original source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ↗