Human Services - Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Placer County Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department and the Placer County Probation Department implemented the Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program (MCIEP) on June 1, 2014. The program was launched to address the provisions of Assembly Bill 720 which allowed counties to designate an entity to assist county jail inmates to apply for health insurance programs. In Placer County, the Human Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services was appointed as the designated entity to ensure that inmates upon release have access to healthcare coverage to continue their physical and behavioral health treatment. With the majority of incarcerated individuals experiencing mental health, substance use/abuse and chronic health issues, immediate access to healthcare upon release was the programs top priority as it is the most successful evidence based practice to reduce recidivism. By utilizing shared data and collaborative processes, the program is able to successfully enroll its inmate/probationer population into healthcare coverage. At implementation of MCIEP in June of 2014, an average of 22 inmates/probationers per month was successfully enrolled into healthcare coverage. By March of 2015 those numbers increased by 40% to an average of 31 enrollments per month.