States Want to Bring Medicaid Behind Bars. Federal Changes Are Making That Harder.

Funding cuts and program changes required by H.R. 1 are forcing states to rethink bipartisan efforts to bring Medicaid into jails and prisons.

By: Julie Wernau

Outlets: Tradeoffs

Published: July 14, 2026

Words: 1,595

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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Cody Coughenour landed in jail at least half a dozen times by the time he was 47 years old. First, it was alcohol. Then, when he was 26 years old, his mother died of a meth-induced heart attack.

The overwhelming grief led him to the same methamphetamines that killed his mother.

“What people are running away from, that’s what they’re going to run into,” he said.

Each time Coughenour got out of jail in …

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