Medicaid has historically played a limited role in the care of incarcerated youth, but in recent years, federal Medicaid policy has shifted to focus on improving health care transitions for justice-involved youth as they reenter the community. In particular, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, required state Medicaid programs to provide certain screenings and diagnostic services to eligible youth 30 days prior to release, and targeted case management services 30 days prior to release and for at least 30 days after release.
In this session, staff presented a draft chapter for the March 2026 Report to Congress that described findings from the Commission’s work on selected state efforts to implement these requirements that seek to improve care transitions for justice-involved youth who return to the community. This draft chapter begins by providing an overview of the demographics and health needs of these youth, then reviews the federal Medicaid policy for eligible incarcerated individuals. The chapter then explores findings from interviews with selected states on their efforts to implement these requirements and challenges in implementation. At the conclusion of the presentation, Commissioners provided feedback to staff on the draft chapter planned for inclusion in the March 2026 Report to Congress.