News & Updates — Webinar

At the end of January 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved California’s 1115 waiver amendment application to use federal Medicaid to pay for certain health care services inside jails, prisons, and youth correctional facilities during the last 90 days of a person’s incarceration. This is the first time that federal Medicaid dollars can be used to pay for care for people returning home from jails and prisons during the last 90 days of incarceration. However, to benefit from this, correctional institutions in California will now need to implement this new policy. And, to have an impact nationally, more states will have to apply for similar 1115 demonstration waivers.

FORE grantees have been advocating for these changes for quite some time and are showing how both the new challenges of implementation as well as expansion to other states can be met. One grantee has been leveraging telemedicine to deliver medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) to inmates at several rural detention centers in Maryland and working to ensure continuity of care for inmates upon release, when they are at high risk of overdoses. Another supports women with OUD who are leaving prison with the aim of helping them avoid overdose and improve their financial stability, parenting skills, and recovery capital. These are just a few examples of what next steps are needed to leverage this policy opportunity, expand access to OUD treatment, and truly improve outcomes for this population.

Please join us on Thursday, March 23rd at 3pm EST as we welcome…

• Gabrielle de la Guéronnière, JD, Vice President of Health & Justice Policy
  Grantee: Legal Action Center
  Project: Leveraging Medicaid to Increase Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Access for Justice-Involved People
• Eric Weintraub, MD, Associate Professor
  Captain Daniel Lasher, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office
  Grantee: University of Maryland School of Medicine
  Project: Treatment with Buprenorphine through Telemedicine in a Rural Criminal Justice Setting
• Hendrée Jones, PhD, Executive Director
  Grantee: University of North Carolina – Horizons Program
  Project: Jenna’s Project: Supporting Women’s Re-entry to Society from Prison and Re-connection with Children

… as they discuss policy implications and next steps after approval of California’s 1115 waiver and provide some recommendations for the field. The webinar will run until 4:30pm to allow for an extended discussion and Q&A session following the presentation.

Register for the Webinar Here

We invite you to look at our Resources page for the most up-to-date information and guidance. You can view a recording of our previous webinars below. As always, please reach out with questions and/or resources that you believe would benefits others.