Medicaid and the criminal justice system share responsibility for providing health care services to Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the justice system. Following a chapter in the June 2023 Report to Congress that examined Medicaid for justice-involved adults, MACPAC is focusing on the issues and needs of justice-involved youth.
Longstanding federal policy limits Medicaid payment for health services provided to inmates of public institutions, including juvenile facilities. However, Medicaid policy has been evolving in recent years to improve health care transitions for justice-involved youth as they reenter the community after release. In this session, staff provided background information on the characteristics and health needs of justice-involved youth, as well as Medicaid’s role in supporting their transition from incarceration back to the community.