Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Project Abstract Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (DHCFP), the Medicaid Division within the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is seeking a 4-year State Planning Grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to support implementation of Nevada’s Reentry Initiative. The Reentry Initiative will address the health care needs of Nevada’s justice-involved population and advance the State’s health equity priorities. DHCFP will promote the objectives of the Medicaid program by ensuring incarcerated individuals with health care services pre- and post-release. In 2021, Nevada passed Assembly Bill (AB) 358, which requires DHHS to suspend rather than terminate Medicaid eligibility when a person is incarcerated. In 2023, the Nevada Legislature passed AB 389, which required DHHS to apply for a Section 1115 Reentry waiver to provide a targeted set of reentry services to individuals who are incarcerated in the 90 days prior to their release. With the implementation of these two bills and future approval of the proposed Reentry waiver, Nevada aims to facilitate continuity of care and increase access to high-quality, well-coordinated care during reentry for incarcerated individuals, resulting in improved quality health outcomes and reductions in Emergency Department (ED) visits and inpatient hospital admissions for both physical and behavioral health conditions. By bridging relationships between community-based Medicaid providers and justice-involved populations prior to release, Nevada seeks to improve health outcomes for individuals with a history of substance use, mental illness, and/or chronic disease by increasing access to stable and continuous care. Nevada will strengthen stakeholder engagement across Medicaid, carceral settings, health and social services agencies, community-based providers, and other entities to promote the health and wellbeing of justice-involved individuals and support their successful reentry into the community. Improving connections between carceral settings and community services by providing access to Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Medicaid Billing Technology will enhance transition and continuity of care into the community upon release and during reentry. The proposed all technology will improve coordination and communication between correctional systems, Medicaid systems, managed care plans, and community-based providers. Stakeholders agree that a robust technological investment into health care and related services, aimed at improving the quality of care for beneficiaries in carceral settings and in the community will maximize successful reentry post-release. To accomplish this, all participating carceral facilities will need access, training and technical assistance from DHCFP and its vendors to connect to and manage a robust Electronic Health Record and Medicaid billing system. DHCFP is seeking $5 million total funding to contract a program management vendor and EHR and Medicaid Billing Technology vendors for carceral facilities implementation of reentry services.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).