The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced approval of three new Section 1115 reentry demonstrations for Louisiana, Minnesota and Nevada, the National Association of Counties reported. The approvals are effective October 1, 2026, and run through September 30, 2031.

Source: National Association of Counties (NACo)

CMS also approved a five-year renewal of Washington, D.C.'s Whole-Person Care Transformation demonstration, which authorises coverage of certain pre-release services for eligible incarcerated individuals, NACo said. With the new approvals, 22 states have approved Medicaid waivers to cover services for individuals pending release, according to NACo and the CMS reentry demonstrations page.

Source: CMS — Reentry Section 1115 Demonstrations (Medicaid.gov)

What changes in Louisiana

Louisiana's demonstration will allow Medicaid-required and state-defined coverage for specific services during the 60 days prior to release, the Louisiana Department of Health said on October 9. The state is preparing to launch at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in early 2027, followed by remaining state prisons and participating parish jails.

Source: Louisiana Department of Health

'By beginning care before release and connecting people with providers in their communities, we can improve health outcomes and build a more effective, sustainable system of care,' LDH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said in the state's announcement.

Why reentry care is treated as high-risk

CMS and NACo describe the period after release as high-risk: people leaving incarceration have higher rates of substance-use disorders, mental illness and chronic conditions, and often leave without active coverage or a provider connection, raising the risk of overdose, emergency care and returning to the justice system. The demonstrations also require states to suspend rather than terminate Medicaid eligibility when an enrolled person enters a facility, and set monitoring and evaluation requirements.