Anne Landry, associate commissioner at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, told the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Oversight Committee on April 25 that the department has launched a Community Reentry Program under its Section 1115 Medicaid waiver to connect incarcerated, sentenced people to treatment and primary care before they re-enter the community. "This component deals specifically with people who are, adjudicated individuals," Landry said.

The program is a 45‑day benefit for adults (45 days of covered services prior to release, as chosen by New Hampshire) and a separate youth component that includes 30 days of pre‑release services plus 30 days of post‑release case management. Landry said the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the state’s reentry component July 16, 2024, and that CMS will cover up to a 30‑day supply of medications at discharge.

Why it matters: Medicaid traditionally excludes most services provided behind correctional facility walls; the 1115 waiver lets the state draw federal match for some of those costs. State officials said the program aims to reduce recidivism by treating substance use and mental health needs and improving continuity of medical care when people leave incarceration.

Implementation and early results: Landry described a phased rollout that began with state Department of Corrections facilities. She said the state has enrolled about 30 adults into the reentry program at the DOC level, with 10 of those individuals already released into the community and about 20 still in the pre‑release period. For youth at the state youth secure care facility (SYSC), she reported five enrollees and one release so far. "We've had 30 individuals enrolled so far, 10 of which have been released and 20 that are waiting to be," Landry said.

Officials emphasized that the state started with state facilities to work out implementation issues before expanding to counties, where a smaller share of the incarcerated population is eligible. Landry said four of five state correctional facilities are participating; the department intends to begin county rollouts after refining implementation and will likely start with two counties and add others gradually. She said a federal grant application is pending that could accelerate expansion, and that counties may need to address readiness and approvals to participate.

Costs and evaluation: Landry characterized the waiver as a five‑year demonstration that must meet budget‑neutrality and be shown cost‑effective through evaluation. She noted the waiver includes an independent evaluator and an evaluation plan. On funding she said the waiver can be budget‑neutral or better because early, lower‑cost interventions and planned care can avoid costlier emergency and inpatient care. The department is providing some infrastructure assistance (for example, telemedicine equipment) and said counties may need to provide matching funds for that support.

Questions and concerns from committee members ranged from program duration to county selection and funding. Representative Pearson urged careful tracking of cost and outcomes so those who need persuasion have metrics when the program comes up for funding or renewal; Landry replied that the independent evaluation plan will provide metrics for later review.

Ending: Landry described early individual successes, including people who obtained housing, employment and continuous medication support at release, and said the department and the Department of Corrections remain partners in implementation. The committee signaled interest in ongoing performance data as the demonstration proceeds.