Support for Proposed Medicaid Waiver for Individuals Newly Released From Incarceration

SUMMARY

The Corrections and Community Reentry Committee (Alex Lesman, Chair) submitted a letter in support of the New York State Department of Health’s proposal to seek a Section 1115 waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. A waiver would authorize federal Medicaid matching funds for certain transitional services provided within 30 days of release to incarcerated people with serious behavioral and physical health conditions who are eligible for Health Homes under the Affordable Care Act § 2703. In light of the myriad challenges faced by people newly released from incarceration—including job and income loss, difficulty securing and maintaining housing, interrupted education, strained family relationships or severed family ties, and ongoing obligations to the criminal justice system—facilitating access to necessary medical and mental health treatment in the crucial period immediately following release will increase the likelihood of successful reentry for individuals who need this support.