NCJA Webinar Beginning the Conversation: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Expansion and Your Justice Agency

While implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will look different in every state, justice agencies across the country have an opportunity to take advantage of new resources within the health care landscape. With Medicaid eligibility expanding in 25 states and DC and Health Insurance Marketplaces online nationwide, more people than ever before will have access to health and behavioral health care services. For justice agencies, the ACA and Medicaid expansion in particular, represent an opportunity to not only lower recidivism rates and improve public safety but save state and local tax dollars. By diverting those offenders with behavioral health needs away from justice systems and toward mental health and substance abuse treatment, we can better ensure that limited justice resources are used efficiently. With 15 percent of men and 31 percent of woman in jail having a chronic mental illness and an even higher percentage with a diagnosable substance abuse disorder; the opportunities for leveraging health care to improve public safety are great.

Beginning the Conversation: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Expansion and Your Justice Agency is the first in a series of webinars that will highlight how the expansion of health coverage can be leveraged to enhance public safety. This initial webinar will provide attendees with a basic understanding of the new law, implications of Medicaid expansion and detailed information on how expanded coverage could impact state and local justice agencies. In addition, this webinar will highlight efforts currently underway in the corrections field to take advantage of Medicaid eligibility expansion. For speaker information or to register for this webinar, click here.