In the
past, many states terminated Medicaid coverage for enrollees who became
incarcerated because (1) Medicaid generally covers only their inpatient care costs
and (2) prior to Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act, many
incarcerated individuals were not eligible for Medicaid at all.
Expanded
Medicaid eligibility and recent
guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have
prompted some states, including Connecticut, to suspend, rather than terminate,
Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals and make other efforts to
connect those involved with the criminal justice system to Medicaid, as
described in a
recent Kaiser Family Foundation brief.
The brief
describes Connecticut’s, Massachusetts’s, and Arizona’s initiatives. Its
description of Connecticut’s efforts includes the following facts:
- Connecticut only suspends the Medicaid status of an incarcerated individual after 60 days of custody to prevent disruptions in coverage for individuals who move in and out of incarceration over short time periods.
- 2,300 people had a suspended Medicaid status as of April 2016.
- Anyone sentenced to probation is screened for Medicaid, and, if needed, the probation officer initiates a Medicaid application.
