Medicaid Coverage and Prison Inmates

Ohio among states pushing prisoners on Medicaid, By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn, February 18, 2014, USA Today: “Landing time in an Ohio prison could also soon get you help enrolling into health care coverage under Obamacare. Ohio is among a small but growing number of states working to enroll prisoners into Medicaid when they get sick and as they are being released. The move could save the state nearly $18 million this year alone in costs of providing health care to prisoners — money that would be shifted onto the federal government’s tab. Longer term, prison and health care officials say it also could help curb the number of repeat offenders as more ex-prisoners gain access to needed mental health services and substance abuse programs, benefits now required to be covered under the health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act…”