By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
Through federal Medicaid funding, eligible adults and juveniles leaving state custody will receive continued access to physical and mental health care and addiction services for up to a year after release from state custody, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday, April 13.
“Providing services like health care to adults and juveniles who have paid their debt to society will help reduce recidivism, decrease overdose deaths, boost our workforce and make our commonwealth safer, ” Beshear said in a news release.
The health services are available through a Medicaid Reentry Section 1115 Demonstration, which allows states to test new approaches in Medicaid that differ from federal rules.
It has taken several years to get to the implementation phase of the state’s Reentry Demonstration waiver. Kentucky applied for the 1115 Reentry waiver on Dec. 30, 2023. It was approved on July 2, 2024, and Beshear announced its implementation on Monday.
An analysis by KFF, a nonprofit that focuses on health care policy that was formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, reports that as of Nov. 21, 19 states had been approved for the waiver, and the approvals for nine states, plus Washington, D.C., were pending.
The news release breaks down how the Reentry Waiver will work. First, those eligible will be screened before their release from state custody to assess their mental and physical health care needs, including addiction service needs. Once enrolled, the adult inmates and juveniles will receive a year of Medicaid coverage to bridge the gap between incarceration and release. They will also receive a one-month supply of any medication prescribed while in custody.
“Prioritizing the health and well-being of those in state custody gives them the best chance at success,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said in the release. “Eligible individuals will no longer need to worry about finding health-care services on their own immediately upon release, allowing them to focus their efforts on finding a good-paying job, providing for their families, staying healthy and making the best of their second chance.”
“Research has proven that health care is a vital second-chance resource and that without it, crime rates rise. Studies also show that increasing access to health insurance and health care will have numerous positive public safety and public health impacts on newly released individuals, their families and their communities,” according to the release.
Health Secretary Dr. Steven Stack added, “Leaving incarceration can be a vulnerable time as individuals navigate various systems and rebuild their lives. Maintaining access to care – whether it be ongoing behavioral health and addiction treatment or other health needs – is an essential piece of reentry success.”
