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Image by Lisa Kennedy from Pixabay
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Honorable Mention
Policy Memo: Improving Healthcare Access Among the Newly Decarcerated
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E. Rosalie Li-Rodenborn (1)*, Bernat Navarro-Serer (2)*, Stephanie Pitts (3)*, Kavya Anchuri (4)*
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Keywords: Medicaid; opioid crisis; healthcare; insurance; prison system; Maryland
Executive Summary: The American opioid crisis has disproportionately affected our incarcerated population. Approximately two-thirds of inmates nationwide struggle with substance use disorders (Maryland Department of Health 2018; Cohn 2019). Though some receive treatment during incarceration, about 60% leave prison uninsured (Maryland Department of Health 2018). Without insurance, continuing treatment becomes improbable, significantly increasing the risk of overdosing in the two weeks following decarceration (Binswanger et al. 2007). The State of Maryland has addressed this problem by expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act in 2014. Today, an estimated 90% of Maryland prisoners qualify for Medicaid upon release (Hancock 2016). Despite Medicaid expansion and other measures, including a 2016 presumptive eligibility policy, most inmates still leave prison unable to access the healthcare for which they qualify (Cohn 2019). This memorandum highlights policy options that ensure eligible inmates leave with unencumbered access to healthcare. We recommend using Presumptive Eligibility to enroll all qualified inmates, which prevents a coverage lapse immediately following release, with implementation of full coverage for all state correctional facilities as the long-term goal.
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References
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E. Rosalie Li-Rodenborn is a second-year graduate student studying public health biology at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her interest exists in the space where science meets policy, and she hopes to change the way scientists approach public engagement. Her publication NOVEL SCIENCE helps scientists learn to communicate with lay audiences while producing content that prioritizes excellence in writing, scientific rigor, and aesthetic. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D.
Bernat Navarro-Serer is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate studying pancreatic cancer at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He studies mechanisms of invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using 3D organoid models from human derived tumors. He is the Social Media Chair at the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group and the Eastern Hub Co-Chair at the National Science Policy Network.
Stephanie Pitts is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on targeting RNA polymerase I as an anti-cancer therapeutic strategy. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Brown University.
Kavya Anchuri is a second-year MD candidate at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine in Alberta, Canada. She completed a Master of Health Science at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2018, where she published her thesis research on the epidemiology of suicide among emerging adults in the U.S. After this, she worked for the Nova Scotia Health Authority in Atlantic Canada to evaluate transitions-of-care between pediatric to adult mental health services in the region.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group in the preparation of this manuscript.
Bernat Navarro-Serer is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate studying pancreatic cancer at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He studies mechanisms of invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using 3D organoid models from human derived tumors. He is the Social Media Chair at the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group and the Eastern Hub Co-Chair at the National Science Policy Network.
Stephanie Pitts is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on targeting RNA polymerase I as an anti-cancer therapeutic strategy. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Brown University.
Kavya Anchuri is a second-year MD candidate at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine in Alberta, Canada. She completed a Master of Health Science at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2018, where she published her thesis research on the epidemiology of suicide among emerging adults in the U.S. After this, she worked for the Nova Scotia Health Authority in Atlantic Canada to evaluate transitions-of-care between pediatric to adult mental health services in the region.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group in the preparation of this manuscript.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.
ISSN 2372-2193
ISSN 2372-2193
