Data Sharing

Sharing data across education and Medicaid agencies can greatly enhance state and local decision-making related to student health. Linking student attendance data with health data, for example, can provide a valuable tool for identifying and developing solutions to chronic absenteeism. However, understanding and effectively navigating each sector’s respective privacy laws–HIPAA and FERPA–can sometimes act as a barrier to effective collaboration. Many states and localities have developed strategies for successfully overcoming these challenges to allow data sharing across agencies.