Health Care after Incarceration

Most people leaving prison have at least one chronic problem with physical health, mental health, or substance use (Mallik-Kane and Visher 2008). These health problems make it harder to successfully reintegrate into the community after incarceration— affecting people’s ability to avoid offending and maintain employment, housing, family relationships, and sobriety. Historically, most people returning from prison lacked health insurance, impeding receipt of care for chronic health conditions and leading to high levels of emergency room use. The option to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act created an opportunity in many states to connect large numbers of returning individuals with health coverage. As states and localities increasingly meet that challenge of enrolling people returning from prison and jail in Medicaid, the question of what factors other than having or lacking health coverage affect people’s decisions to access health care in the community takes on greater importance.