States want to bring Medicaid behind bars. Federal changes make that harder
States are experimenting with providing Medicaid coverage to individuals before they are released from jail to improve reentry outcomes and reduce recidivism. However, new federal budget laws and increased scrutiny from the Trump administration are creating financial and regulatory hurdles for these programs.
Why it matters
The intersection of criminal justice reform and healthcare policy is critical for addressing addiction and public health outcomes for incarcerated populations.
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Cody Coughenour landed in jail at least half a dozen times by the time he was 47 years old. First, it was crimes related to his alcohol addiction. Then, when he was 26 years old, his mother died of a meth-induced heart attack.
The overwhelming grief led him to the same methamphetamines that killed his mother.
"What people are running away from, that's what they're going to run into," he said.
Each time Coughenour got out of jail in Washington state, the list of things he was supposed to do to get back on his feet felt overwhelming. He knew that addiction treatment and therapy should be near the top.
But to pay for that care, he needed health insurance.
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