Medicaid Funding for Soon-to-Be-Freed Prisoners Eyed in States

Medicaid Funding for Soon-to-Be-Freed Prisoners Eyed in States

Posted on December 3, 2021

Vermont and several other states are asking federal regulators to approve the use of Medicaid funds for health-care services to prisoners shortly before their release. Approval by CMS would mark the first break in the firewall that has kept Medicaid out of prisons and would address the problem of interrupted care faced by newly released prisoners suffering from chronic illnesses, mental health problems, or substance use disorder as they transition to life beyond bars. “Almost 80% of individuals being released from prison or jail have a serious medical issue, whether it be substance use disorder, chronic illness or psychiatric conditions,” said Shannon Scully, senior manager of criminal justice policy at NAMI. “And we know that when we can make sure that people can continue to get care right away when they are released, their outcomes are better, and their chances of re-incarceration go down. That’s why this is so important.”