How Do I Pay for Medical Care After I Am Released?
To restart Medicaid
You can apply for a new Medicaid card while you are in jail. Medicaid
will generally consider your application only if you are likely to
be released within 90 days (in some states, 45 days).
If you were on Medicaid before your arrest, there is a very good
chance you will be eligible. If you have been on SSI, you may have
to wait until Social Security restarts your SSI checks before you
are confirmed as eligible for Medicaid.
There are different ways to qualify for Medicaid. You should ask
the jail or prison staff for a Medicaid application form and provide
the information requested on it. File the form before your release
if you can. Then, on the day you are released, go to the local social
services office to see if they can give you a card.
Even before you have a card, you should be able to get health and
mental health services covered by Medicaid as soon as you are released.
You should ask the staff at the social services office how this works.
To restart Medicare
Unless you are 65 or older, if you had Medicare it was probably
because you had SSDI. Since you remain on the SSDI rolls while in
jail or prison (even though you do not receive checks), you do not
lose your Medicare eligibility.
Keep your Medicare card or information somewhere safe while you
are in jail or prison. Once you are released, you should be able
to receive services and the provider of those services should have
no problem billing Medicare.
If you have lost your Medicare card, you can ask Social Security
for a new one. If you need it immediately, call Social Security's
toll-free number (1-800-772-1213). Social Security can give you proof
of your eligibility that you can use until you get a new card. If
you can wait 30 days, you can apply for a new card online at www.ssa.gov.
It will be mailed within 30 days to the address Social Security has
in its records for you.
To restart Veterans Health Care
Veterans are eligible for health care from the VA system as soon
as they are released from jail or prison. After you are released,
you should contact the VA health care facility that you wish to use
in order to get your name back into their computer.
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