Engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5,128 would clarify Medicaid enrollment treatment for youth in confinement and direct planning to implement federally required pre-release screening and case management services, the House Health Care & Wellness Committee heard March 14.

Chris Blake, committee staff, summarized current practice: Medicaid enrollment for incarcerated enrollees is suspended rather than terminated for 29 days, and a federal waiver is being implemented to provide specified services in the 90 days prior to release. The 2023 federal change requires screenings, diagnostic services, and targeted case management for incarcerated Medicaid enrollees 30 days before release through 30 days after release.

The engrossed substitute would explicitly state that suspension provisions apply to youth in facilities operated by the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and excludes county juvenile detention centers from that specific statutory language. The bill directs the Health Care Authority to collaborate with managed care organizations, the reentry services work group, detention facilities, and DCYF to implement federal requirements for screenings and services for youth approaching release. The HCA must report an operational plan and identified barriers to the governor and legislature by Dec. 1, 2025.

Senator Claire Wilson, the bill’s prime sponsor, said site visits and committee work revealed youth in facilities had lost access to needed services — she described a case of a juvenile lacking eyeglasses while in custody because Medicaid coverage was not maintained. ‘‘When an individual's Medicaid is terminated, it's very difficult to re-enroll and it can lead to gaps in coverage when a young person is being released and when they really need it the most,’’ Wilson said.

Support testimony from sheriffs’ and police chiefs, coordinated care organizations and managed-care representatives emphasized that suspending rather than terminating benefits eases reactivation upon release and improves care coordination during reentry. The committee did not take final action during the hearing.