What Correctional Agencies Need to Know about the Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Opportunity

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SCA Conference News
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What Correctional Agencies Need to Know about the Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Opportunity

When authorized in 1965, Medicaid was prohibited by Congress from allowing payments for services provided to “inmates of a public institution.” As a result, corrections leaders have utilized other state and federal opportunities to finance health care services for people who are incarcerated and upon their release back into communities. However, in 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed new guidance based on the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act. This brief provides key information to corrections leaders about the Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Opportunity, which allows states to provide critical pre- and post-release care for people returning to their communities from incarceration.

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