State Medicaid eligibility policies for individuals moving into and out of incarceration
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Issue brief (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
- Author(s):
- McKee, Catherine, author Somers, Sarah, author Artiga, Samantha, author Gates, Alexandra, author
- Contributor(s):
- Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, issuing body. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Menlo Park, CA : Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, August 2015
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Eligibility Determination Health Services Accessibility Health Services Needs and Demand Medicaid -- legislation & jurisprudence Prisoners -- legislation & jurisprudence United States United States.
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Many individuals in prisons and jails have significant physical and behavioral health care needs, but lack health insurance and regular access to care. Compared to individuals in the community, incarcerated individuals are much more likely to have chronic physical and mental health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, a serious mental illness, or a substance abuse disorder. Despite having significant health care needs, many individuals do not receive necessary medical care during incarceration. Because the majority of individuals leaving prisons and jails do not have health insurance, they often continue to lack access to care after release. Medicaid coverage for individuals moving into and out of incarceration may help increase their access to care and improve their health status, and thus contribute to broader benefits. Enrolling these individuals in Medicaid may also contribute to state savings. The Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion offers a new opportunity for states to connect individuals in prisons and jails to coverage. However, Medicaid eligibility policies for incarcerated individuals vary in both expansion and non-expansion states. These policies affect if and when individuals may be enrolled in coverage and the savings states may achieve from their coverage. Federal law does not prohibit individuals from being enrolled in Medicaid while incarcerated. However, Medicaid will not cover the cost of care for incarcerated individuals, except for care received as an inpatient in a hospital or other medical institution. Given these broad federal rules, states have flexibility to make policy choices related to eligibility and enrollment of incarcerated individuals. Building on an earlier brief that provides an overview of health coverage and care for individuals involved with the criminal justice system, this brief highlights how state eligibility policies for incarcerated individuals differ, based on a review of state statutes, regulations, Medicaid eligibility manuals and other Medicaid agency guidance publicly available online and Medicaid managed care contracts.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (12 pages, 1 unnumbered page)).
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101666468 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101666468