Medi-Cal for parolees hits snags

A push to provide California’s former inmates with health care coverage has been hindered by technical difficulties and administrative mistakes.

Of the nearly 40,000 individuals paroled each year, most are eligible for no- or low-cost health insurance through Medi-Cal, according to HealthyCal. However, many inmates applied for Medi-Cal coverage before their release, but glitches in a computer system designed to speed up the process led to lengthy delays, many applications were sent to the wrong counties, and some counties simply didn’t know how to properly process the applications.

Meanwhile, roughly 900,000 electronic Medi-Cal applications are backlogged and awaiting processing.

Advocates argue that increasing inmates’ access to mental health care and drug treatment could help reduce rates of recidivism.