Medicaid waiver for coverage of qualified inmates leaving prison or jail.

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  • (1) As used in this section:
    • (a) "Correctional facility" means:
      • (i) a county jail;
      • (ii) the Department of Corrections, created in Section 64-13-2; or
      • (iii) a prison, penitentiary, or other institution operated by or under contract with the Department of Corrections for the confinement of an offender, as defined in Section 64-13-1.
    • (b) "Qualified inmate" means an individual who:
      • (i) is incarcerated in a correctional facility; and
      • (ii) has:
        • (A) a chronic physical or behavioral health condition;
        • (B) a mental illness, as defined in Section 62A-15-602; or
        • (C) an opioid use disorder.
  • (2) Before July 1, 2020, the division shall apply for a Medicaid waiver or a state plan amendment with CMS to offer a program to provide Medicaid coverage to a qualified inmate for up to 30 days immediately before the day on which the qualified inmate is released from a correctional facility.
  • (3) If the waiver or state plan amendment described in Subsection (2) is approved, the department shall report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee each year before November 30 while the waiver or state plan amendment is in effect regarding:
    • (a) the number of qualified inmates served under the program;
    • (b) the cost of the program; and
    • (c) the effectiveness of the program, including:
      • (i) any reduction in the number of emergency room visits or hospitalizations by inmates after release from a correctional facility;
      • (ii) any reduction in the number of inmates undergoing inpatient treatment after release from a correctional facility;
      • (iii) any reduction in overdose rates and deaths of inmates after release from a correctional facility; and
      • (iv) any other costs or benefits as a result of the program.
  • (4) If the waiver or state plan amendment described in Subsection (2) is approved, a county that is responsible for the cost of a qualified inmate's medical care shall provide the required matching funds to the state for:
    • (a) any costs to enroll the qualified inmate for the Medicaid coverage described in Subsection (2);
    • (b) any administrative fees for the Medicaid coverage described in Subsection (2); and
    • (c) the Medicaid coverage that is provided to the qualified inmate under Subsection (2).




Technically renumbered to avoid duplication of section number also enacted in HB214, Chapter 187, HB219, Chapter 188, and HB32, Chapter 303.


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