Assemblymember Waldron announces first-of-its-kind health care access

ESCONDIDO – Last week, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced California has received approval from the federal government to become the first state in the nation to allow specific physical and behavioral health care services for people incarcerated in state prisons to access California’s Medi-Cal system 90 days prior to their release. This positive change will allow for continuity of care as people transition from custody to freedom.

Assembly Bill 1214 (Waldron, 2021) provided the framework for this first-of-its-kind initiative. Understanding the dire need for inca...