142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

311539
Implications of the Affordable Care Act for the Justice-Involved and Criminal Justice System

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Jenny Montoya Tansey, J.D. , Californians for Safety and Justice, Oakland, CA
Counties across California - from Los Angeles, home to the largest jail system in the United States, to small, rural counties - are piloting a diverse set of strategies and models to leverage Affordable Care Act opportunities to increase public safety and reduce costs. A 2013 state law directs counties to process new Medicaid applications from inmates and to suspend, not terminate, Medicaid benefits for those who are already enrolled who are booked into jail. Public safety agencies are collaborating with health and social services agencies and community partners to enroll county jail and probation populations and connect them to treatment. In addition to improving community health, these efforts are aimed at addressing jail populations pressures, recidivism, and spiraling jail health care costs. 

This presentation will highlight the range of models being piloted across California, some preliminary outcomes as well as ongoing challenges, including fostering a “culture of coverage” amongst populations that may distrust government and the health care system, creating better linkages and information sharing between the justice system, health and social services, and community providers, and ensuring that individuals are not just enrolled in health coverage, but actually access needed treatment after enrollment.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Identify different model and practices used to enroll people involved in the justice system into health coverage and connect them behavioral health treatment. Explain how these models and practices can improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and increase public safety.

Keyword(s): Affordable Care Act, Mental Health Treatment &Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I lead “Health Matters,” a project of Californians for Safety and Justice. I authored a toolkit, Enrolling County Jail and Probation Populations in Health Coverage, have presented on this topic to officials from over 30 counties in California, members of the state and federal judiciaries, and multiple state health provider associations. I provide technical assistance to a number of counties, including Los Angeles, on leveraging ACA opportunities in their justice systems.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.