Medicaid for Justice-Involved Youth Transitions to the Community

Chapter 3 of the March 2026 report looks at the role of Medicaid in supporting justice-involved youth. 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. The chapter includes findings from the Commission’s work on state efforts to improve care transitions for justice-involved youth who return to the community. It begins by providing an overview of the demographics and health needs of these youth, then reviews the federal Medicaid policy for eligible incarcerated individuals. It concludes with findings from interviews with selected states on their efforts to implement these requirements and challenges in implementation.