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Oregon was set to launch a program next January to get incarcerated people Medicaid health coverage before their release. No longer: The program is being delayed.
“OHA made the decision in consultation with implementation partners and based on potential changes at the federal level,” Oregon Health Authority spokeswoman Kristen Lambert told WW in an email. “There is no updated launch date at this time.”
The development, first reported by InvestigateWest, comes at a time of great uncertainty for programs funded through Medicaid, a massive federal health insurance program facing funding cuts and heavy scrutiny from the Trump administration.
The Reentry Benefits program had been approved in 2024 through a “waiver, ”a program whereby states apply to experiment with Medicaid dollars. Oregon’s stated vision—and other states have moved to try out their own version of this—was to put inmates on the Oregon Health Plan 90 days before their release from custody, an exemption to a federal law that generally prohibits incarcerated people from getting Medicaid.
The state argued that people getting out of prison often see their health care interrupted while they try to figure out insurance, affecting their ability to get things like medication and substance abuse treatment, and leading in turn to increased overdoses, visits to the emergency room, and recidivism.
“OHA remains committed to deploying a community-centered program that supports successful community reentry for youth and adults,” said Lambert, of the Oregon Health Authority. “We are in the process of revising the project plan and timeline to ensure that communities, program participants, and partner organizations are properly resourced and supported in launching these benefits.”
