With Medicaid Expansion, More than “A Bus Pass and A Good Luck” for Formerly Incarcerated People

People who are incarcerated have complex health needs, and to make matters more complicated, prisons and jails have seen some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S.

 But what happens when they leave prison or jail and need to receive health care on the outside?

Many states that have expanded Medicaid are also trying to ensure that people leaving jail or prison are able to enroll in health coverage upon release.

On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, learn how these and other health care and criminal justice reform efforts work together from guests Vikki Wachino, who heads a nonprofit that connects jails with community health care providers, and Rebekah Gee, who oversaw Medicaid expansion as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.