People leaving jail and prison die at sharply elevated rates in the first weeks after release, most often from overdose. Four states have now built programs to hand them a working Medicaid card before they walk out the door instead of a phone number to call afterward.
California, Washington, Montana and New Hampshire have started providing Medicaid coverage to people while still incarcerated, and tens of thousands are being screened for substance use disorder, started on medication and connected to community providers before release, according to reporting by Tradeoffs.
