Pass the Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act
Recommendation
To give incarcerated people some coverage for mental health care under Medicaid, Congress should pass the Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act.
Background/summary
The Medicaid Inmate Exclusion policy currently excludes both those who are awaiting trial and incarcerated people from Medicaid coverage, regardless of prior eligibility. It has been proven that without medically necessary mental health and addiction treatment, recidivism among these populations increases [1].
The Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act would give states the ability to allow Medicaid and CHIP to cover mental health and substance use for eligible inmates. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, 40% of the prison and jail population in the United States has a diagnosed mental illness. A large portion of people living in prisons and jails have not been screened for mental illness or substance use disorders and 66% of people in federal prison report not receiving mental health care during incarceration [1]. It is apparent that people who are incarcerated experience “serious psychological distress” due to their incarceration [1]. Congress should pass the Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act to get incarcerated people the necessary mental health and addiction treatment they deserve, reduce recidivism, and drive up healthcare in the prison setting.
citations
- Okamura, Marika, Takayuki Okada, and Yusuke Okumura. “Recidivism among Prisoners with Severe Mental Disorders.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. Last updated June 5, 2023.
- Prison Policy Initiative.“Mental Health, Policies and Practices Surrounding Mental Health.” Last accessed May 29, 2024.