State Governments Search for Ways to Improve Health Outcomes for Incarcerated People

People incarcerated in the US prison system are guaranteed healthcare by federal law and often qualify for Medicaid, but regularly receive substandard care and have significantly worse health outcomes than the general population. To address the issues of substance use and mental illness that over half of formerly incarcerated people face, the US Department of Health and Human Services (CMS) issued a guidance to states on providing pre-release care.

According to The Commonwealth Fund, “Eleven states have already submitted Section 1115 demonstration requests and begun discussions about their waivers with CMS: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. The demonstration requests vary, but all are focused on supporting reentry into the community and improving health outcomes.”

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(Source: The Commonwealth Fund, September 19^th, 2022)