Medicaid Coverage and Mental Health Service Use: Is there a Preventive Effect on Jail Detentions?

The issue addressed here is whether Medicaid leads to an advantage in access and receipt of services for another vulnerable group—persons with SMI when released from jail. Jails now process approximately 11.4 million persons each year and best estimates suggest that about 1 million of these persons have SMI (Morrissey et al., 2003). These individuals are among the most vulnerable and needy persons in the public mental health system.

Medicaid Enrollment and Mental Health Service Use Following Release of Jail Detainees with Severe Mental Illness

This study assessed the extent to which Medicaid enrollment increased access to and use of services by persons with severe mental illness after their release from jail.