Using Medicaid to Disrupt Cycles of Chronic Illness and Incarceration / Rapid Funding in Response to Medicaid Policy Changes

Original Grant Awarded in June 2023: Using Medicaid to Disrupt Cycles of Chronic Illness and Incarceration
Legal Action Center (LAC) is a New York and Washington, D.C. –based nonprofit that uses legal and policy strategies to advocate for people with arrest and conviction records, substance use disorders, and/or HIV or AIDS. It will support state policymakers and other stakeholders interested in leveraging Medicaid funding to expand access to health care services for people leaving jails and prisons. LAC will provide technical assistance to states and organizations that want to act on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Re-entry Guidance and 1115 demonstration waiver opportunities or change policies related to Medicaid enrollment during incarceration and/or post-incarceration linkage to care.

Addendum Grant Awarded in July 2025: Rapid Funding in Response to Medicaid Policy Changes
LAC will provide education to federal and state policymakers and agencies as well as the public on how changes to the Medicaid program, including new work requirements and cost-sharing responsibilities for Medicaid recipients, may harm individuals at high risk of opioid overdoses, including people involved in the criminal-legal system. In addition to other reports, the center will publish an issue brief with strategies for implementing work requirements and will compile stories of individuals whose recovery would not be possible without Medicaid.