California is rolling out a new program to offer Medi-Cal services to people leaving prisons and jails over the 90-day period before a person is released.
The California Department of Health Care Services approved three counties – Inyo, Santa Clara and Yuba – to offer the services to incarcerated individuals preparing to return home.
The state agency said it will offer physical and behavioral health consultations along with lab services and medications.
Yuba and Sutter County Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu said the program will focus on providing care for mental illness and substance use disorder, but won’t be limited to that.
“What is also critical as a standardized requirement from the state is that we implement medication assisted treatment for those who have opioid use disorder,” Luu told CapRadio in an interview.
Participating counties are also required to make Narcan available to participants.
Luu said as part of the program, Yuba County will also fill prescriptions for people as they leave.
“Navigation of healthcare is already complex for most of us, let alone them,” she said. “So it's going to be really helpful for them to have medication in hand.”
The services are open to anyone eligible for Medi-Cal in state prisons, county jails and youth correctional facilities.
Luu said Yuba County’s plan is aimed at making sure there’s an overlap in services people receive just before leaving prison or jail, and who they can go to for support after.
“It's the same person. It's the same organization, and we love that closed loop continuity of care so that these vulnerable individuals can really not be confused,” she said.
The California Department of Health Care Services said that at least 80% of the about 350,000 people who leave state prisons and jails each year are eligible for Medi-Cal.
California is the first state in the country to roll out a program making Medicaid funded services available to people about to return home after being incarcerated.
The federal government waived its restriction on offering support through Medicaid to incarcerated people for the state early last year. Several other states are now seeking the same waiver.
California will incorporate more counties into the program every few months, and it will require all counties to begin participating by October 2026.
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