CMS has approved requests from five states to provide Medicaid coverage to incarcerated people before they are released.
The agency approved waiver requests from Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah and Vermont, according to a July 2 news release.
The step is designed to provide people being released from incarceration with a smoother transition to community-based care. The waiver allows states to provide services such as substance use disorder treatment to individuals through Medicaid up to 90 days before their expected release. The coverage also allows Medicaid programs to connect incarcerated individuals with providers prior to their release.
California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington already provide Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals prior to their release, according to CMS.