Addiction Policy Forum Joins 130 Organizations in Support of the Reentry Act of 2025
- Addiction Policy Forum
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Addiction Policy Forum joined over 130 national and state organizations in support of the Reentry Act of 2025 (H.R. 2586), which was introduced in the House of Representatives on April 1, 2025. This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Mike Turner (R-OH), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and John Rutherford (R-FL) and 61 other original cosponsors, allows states to restore Medicaid for incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release, ensuring there are no gaps in access to treatment during the transition.
The transition from incarceration to the community is a significantly high-risk period, especially for individuals with substance use disorders. Studies indicate that people returning to their community after incarceration are up to 129 times more likely to die of an overdose during the first two weeks after release than the general public.
Currently, Medicaid is typically barred from covering healthcare costs for incarcerated individuals, even if they remain Medicaid-eligible. Restoring incarcerated people’s Medicaid benefits prior to release allows them to access healthcare including addiction and mental health treatment. This would improve continuity, coordination, and access to care resulting in improved health outcomes for people returning to their community. Research shows that by providing health care services during incarceration, such as substance use disorder treatment, individuals are more likely to engage in community-based treatment post-release (Cates & Brown, 2023). Such services have also been shown to decrease continued substance use, recidivism, overdose, and death.
The Reentry Act of 2025 does not change who is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP coverage, but rather addresses the elevated overdose risk of individuals released from incarceration by:
Allowing states to make medical assistance available to Medicaid-eligible incarcerated individuals 30 days prior to their release.
Making it easier for states to provide effective addiction treatment and services within correctional facilities, which would allow for smoother transitions to community care and a reduced risk of overdose deaths post-release.
Ensuring warm handoffs to community-based care for those already eligible.