“Stigma Of Incarceration” – PBS
Health care often takes a back seat after incarceration. Here’s how some states are working to change that
PBS NEWS HOUR – When a person is released from incarceration, they often are faced with rebuilding their lives from scratch – lacking basic government identification, like a driver’s license, stable income, housing or access to health care – all with the stigma of incarceration attached to them.
But a number of states are working to make it easier for people leaving prison to get the health care they need as soon as they are released, eliminating coverage gaps that otherwise take long periods of time or mountains of paperwork to resolve.
California in January became the first state in the nation to offer Medicaid to people up to 90 days prior to their release from incarceration. More than a dozen other states are exploring similar changes to streamline access to Medicaid and make it easier for people to receive the care they need.
To learn more about these policies and what’s at stake, the PBS NewsHour’s Laura Santhanam spoke to Ryan Levi, a producer for Tradeoffs, a national health policy podcast, who has reported extensively on how these issues are playing out.
Why health care takes a back seat
The weeks following release from U.S. prisons and jails can be dangerous for people [that is, convicted criminals – HH] …
