(Chicago) – Recent Medicaid policy reforms present new opportunities to improve community-based healthcare access for people under justice and corrections supervision. Access to care is critical to reducing recidivism, given high rates of substance use, mental illness, and chronic medical conditions among people with involved in the justice system.
To support justice system reforms that rely on access to healthcare, the Center for Health and Justice at TASC has developed a series of policy briefs designed for public safety leaders, state Medicaid agency personnel, Medicaid managed care organizations, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the fields of criminal justice and behavioral health.
The briefs provide information and guidance to improve linkages from justice systems to local healthcare services, and they highlight strategies that states and jurisdictions can use to leverage federal funding for these efforts.
The series, which is available for download, includes the following briefs:
- Building Bridges to Care from Correctional Systems to Healthcare in the Community
- Medicaid Changes Needed for Criminal Justice Reform: Recommendations for States
- Leveraging Medicaid Managed Care for Justice Populations
- Medicaid Administrative Claiming for Individuals Involved in the Justice System
- Presumptive Eligibility for Justice Populations
- Health Homes for Justice Populations
- Home and Community-Based Services for the Justice Population
- 90/10 Funding to Promote Health Information Sharing between Correctional Agencies and Community-Based Providers
- Connecting Youth to Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment Upon Release from Detention
TASC’s Medicaid Policy Series is designed to help leaders maximize the opportunities of Medicaid expansion in order to more swiftly and effectively connect justice populations to healthcare services in the community. The lead author of the series is Sherie Arriazola, TASC administrator of Medicaid policy and program development.
The Center for Health and Justice at TASC helps states, counties, and local jurisdictions develop practical, collaborative strategies for improving community health, reducing rearrest, and saving public dollars.