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DVHA funds eight positions for justice reentry Medicaid case management starting Jan. 2026
Summary
DVHA said it is adding eight positions to the Vermont Chronic Care Initiative to provide case management for people who will receive Medicaid services while incarcerated, with services beginning about nine days before release and the program expected to start Jan. 2026.
Department of Vermont Health Access officials told the House Appropriations Committee they will add eight positions to the Vermont Chronic Care Initiative for a justice reentry case‑management program that begins service to incarcerated individuals prior to release.
Stephanie Barrett and other agency staff described the staffing request as the case‑management component of a waiver-approved initiative providing Medicaid services to people incarcerated shortly before release. The agency said services will begin approximately nine days before an individual’s release date; the program start is expected in January 2026.
Supporting details from testimony: - New positions: eight staff positions budgeted for FY26 to support the Vermont Chronic Care Initiative (BCCI) Justice Reentry Initiative; agency materials treated BCCI as part of DVHA’s budget. - Start date: DVHA told the committee the program start is expected in January 2026 and that meaningful performance metrics would likely be available about a year after operations begin. - One-time equipment: DVHA included modest one-time equipment costs (laptops, work tools) in the FY26 operating budget to outfit the new staff.
Committee follow-up: lawmakers asked about metrics and timing; agency staff said they would expect to report meaningful performance metrics roughly one year after program start and would coordinate with the Department of Corrections and central office operations.
Ending: DVHA emphasized the positions are intended to support continuity of care as people transition from incarceration back into community Medicaid services; the agency said it would report implementation metrics after the program begins operations.
