Former Californian prisoners are gaining much-needed access to medical care, thanks to the state’s expansion of Medicaid, according to a National Public Radio report.
Health insurance is often difficult for ex-offenders to come by, as many have difficulty finding full-time employment. Their situation is also made more dire because they struggle with higher rates of chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma.
“It’s from living a hard life,” said Dr. George Pearson to NPR. “But, it’s also because they have common medical problems that go untreated. So the hypertension becomes heart failure, the diabetes becomes diabetic neuropathy, amputation, and blindness.”
Pearson said that a 45-year-old ex-offender often has the ailments of someone 55 years old.
The Affordable Care Act includes an expansion of Medicaid that could cover millions of low-income Americans, including those who have been incarcerated.
The Medicaid-like program covers preventative care, prescription drugs, specialty visits, mental health and substance abuse, the report states. Researchers say if these health issues go untreated, offenders could end up right back in prison or jail.
Mental health problems and drug addiction significantly influence criminal conduct, said Lenore Anderson, director of Californians for Safety and Justice.
One in six people in jail had some form of mental illness, according to a 2009 survey by the National Sheriffs Association. Officials estimate 50 to 75 percent of clients in Los Angeles County’s Adult Day Reporting Center have mental health problems. Moreover, 58 percent of California prisoners show symptoms of drug dependency, Anderson reports.
Nine out of 10 people in jails have no insurance to pay for it, according to Community Oriented Correctional Health Services.
Increasing treatment for behavioral health disorders before or upon release will more likely stop cycles of crime, said Anderson.
