National Council urges action on Medicaid Reentry Act

Abstract

Last week, Representatives Paul Tonko (D‐New York) and Michael Turner (R‐Ohio) were joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D‐Wisconsin) and Mike Braun (R‐Indiana) in reintroducing the Medicaid Reentry Act (H.R. 955/S. 285), the National Council for Behavioral Health noted Feb. 16. This bipartisan bill would allow states to restart Medicaid coverage for eligible incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release from jail or prison. H.R. 955/S. 285 is an important step toward improving access to much‐needed mental health and substance use services for one of the most vulnerable populations in the country, according to the National Council. “The criminal justice system has become the largest de facto mental health and substance use disorder treatment provider in the country,” Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council, said in a statement. “According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than half of people in the criminal justice system have a mental illness. Of those with serious mental illness, approximately 75 percent also have a co‐occurring substance use disorder. Successful reentry into the community requires enabling justice‐involved individuals to avoid returning to the exact environmental factors that led to their incarceration in the first place. Equipping individuals with timely access to substance use, mental health and other health‐related services before release will facilitate the transition to community‐based care necessary to break the cycle of recidivism. Please consider taking action on this important issue.” For more information, visit https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/policy‐action/write‐your‐legislators.