Juvenile justice facilities in Nevada are now required to provide incarcerated youth under 21 and former foster youth up to age 26 health care under Medicaid due to a new federal law that took effect in the new year. The Justice Involved Reentry Program includes case management as well as medical, dental, and behavioral screenings before release. Before this, they could receive limited services, but Medicaid didn’t cover them.
Nevada Medicaid director Stacie Weeks said this could provide stability.
“When someone’s coming out of the system, it is a difficult transition, and if they do not already have connections to a provider, appointment set up, they’re not on regular medications, that can be really a spiral for them,” Weeks said. “We’re hoping that doing it ahead of time really helps stabilize them in a way where they come out and there’s continuity for them, and so they will have a better chance of being able to thrive in their community.”
Two-thirds of incarcerated youth have mental health or substance use disorders, according to the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. They are also more vulnerable to heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and premature death among adults, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The state recently asked the federal government for approval and funding for care for both adults and youth who are Medicaid-eligible up to 90 days before release. Weeks expects to get an answer this fall.
Director of the Nevada Department of Corrections James Dzurenda said transitioning into the community is more than avoiding criminal activity. It is about “breaking cycles in favor of better health outcomes.”
Weeks said health care can also cut down on repeat offenses.
“For example, individuals who may have mental health challenges or need substance use treatment, having that readily available allows them to keep and sustain a job. Once they’re employed, they can maintain housing,” Weeks said.
California was the first to implement the change. Eleven state waivers have been approved, and 13 state applications are pending.
Weeks said it would take time to set up infrastructure like electronic health records and to meet staffing needs. Currently, some facilities, especially in rural Nevada, do not have health care providers at all.
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