Health Care Access and Reentry Outcomes: Findings from Connecticut and Oregon

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Providing health insurance to formerly incarcerated individuals has the potential to decrease recidivism by addressing the chronic substance use, mental health, and physical health conditions that impede successful reintegration after release. The panel begins with a review of our previous research in Oregon, suggesting that Medicaid has beneficial effects for certain subgroups of reentering individuals, and introduces our subsequent research in Connecticut on the challenges and impacts of providing Medicaid coverage upon release from prison and jail. The first presentation describes the successes and challenges of providing Medicaid coverage to a pretrial detention population at jail release. The second paper reports qualitative findings on the why recently released men may not access appropriate care in the community, even if insured. The final paper evaluates the impact of expanded access to Medicaid on recidivism in a halfway house population, and compares results to previous impact findings from Oregon.

Sub Unit

• Area VII. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 37. Prisoner Re-entry

Division of Special Interest

• Divisions of Special Interest / Division on Corrections & Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• Medicaid Enrollment in Jail: Successes and Challenges - Kamala Mallik-Kane, Urban Institute; Akiva Liberman, Urban Institute; Lisa Dubay, Urban Institute; Emily Tiry, The Urban Institute; Jesse Jannetta, Urban Institute

• Understanding Barriers to Community-based Health Care After Release from Incarceration - Ellen Paddock, Urban Institute; Kamala Mallik-Kane, Urban Institute; Jesse Jannetta, Urban Institute

• The Effect of Medicaid Access during the Transition from Prison to Community - Emily Tiry, The Urban Institute; Kamala Mallik-Kane, Urban Institute; Akiva Liberman, Urban Institute

Chair

• Kamala Mallik-Kane, Urban Institute

Discussant

• Jesse Jannetta, Urban Institute