Application Assistance Legislation (Colo.)
Legislation effective January 1, 2003, provides that inmates who were eligible for Colorado’s Medicaid program at the time they were incarcerated, or are reasonably expected to meet eligibility criteria upon release, must be given assistance in applying for Medicaid at least 90 days before release. Further, this legislation requires that individuals who were eligible for SSI before incarceration, or are reasonably expected to meet eligibility criteria upon release, must be given assistance at least 90 days before release or sooner if possible.
Source: http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/sl2002a/sl.221.htm.
Medicaid Application Process (Mass.)
In Hampden County, MA, staff of Hampden County Community Corrections begin applications to Medicaid 30 days before release to avoid delays in securing health benefits.
Source: Thomas Conklin, Thomas Lincoln, and Rachel Wilson. A Public Health Model for Correctional Health Care (Ludlow, MA: Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, 2002), 49.
Benefits Eligibility Specialist and Applications Process (Tex.)
If an inmate wants SSI/SSDI, a Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Mental Impairments (TCOOMI) staff member refers the individual to a benefits eligibility specialist. The benefits eligibility specialist must file a Social Security Administration application within 10 days of a referral, so that paperwork is completed ahead and submitted exactly 90 days before the inmate’s release date.
Source: Justice Center, Reentry Policy Council, “Case Study: Texas," http://www.reentrypolicy.org/special_projects/reentry_federal_benefits.
Early SSI/SSDI Application Submission (N.Y.)
In New York, the Division of Parole has prison based staff who generally meet with an inmate three months before his or her scheduled release. At that time, the Office of Mental Health pre-release coordinator submits applications for SSI and SSDI to the Social Security office closest to the prison on behalf of the individual, if he or she may be eligible.
Source: Justice Center, Reentry Policy Council, “Case Study: New York,” http://www.reentrypolicy.org/special_projects/reentry_federal_benefits.
