Sheriff's office reentry lead says 1115 Medicaid waiver will provide coverage up to 90 days before release

Laura Andolan, of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, told the Board of Commissioners on July 7 that Weber County has worked for about 18 months with the state on a Medicaid justice reentry demonstration and that the program uses an 1115 Medicaid waiver to expand pre-release coverage.

"It's called an 1115 Medicaid waiver," Andolan said. "And, basically, what that benefit is going to provide is up to 90 days prior to somebody's release from incarceration, they will be able to receive Medicaid coverage that will then be able to bill Medicaid for medical, behavioral health case management services provided to those individuals." She said those services should help individuals focus on behavioral and physical health needs and support transitions back into the community.

Commissioner Gage Froy, who introduced the item, said the change matters because people previously lacked those services prior to release and praised Andolan’s reentry work. "We want to make sure that those people leave and don't come back to our facilities," Froy said, noting the county’s interest in reducing recidivism by supporting people as they reenter society.

The presentation at the July 7 recap meeting described the demonstration as a state-level pilot (the state of Utah's Medicaid justice reentry initiative). County staff framed the waiver as enabling billing for medical and behavioral-health case-management services up to 90 days before release; no formal vote or board action on the waiver was recorded in the session.

The board moved on to other business after hearing the overview and thanking the sheriff’s office staff for the work on reentry.