Medicaid Eligibility and Accessibility: Exploring the Intersection of Poverty, Mental Health, and Incarceration from an Ethical Perspective

Abstract

This paper will address the many facets of why Medicaid mental health resources should be expanded and enhanced for low-income individuals, specifically those recently released from incarceration. First, the connection between incarceration and mental health challenges will be outlined to demonstrate the prominent need for mental healthcare for this population. Next, the intersection between poverty and incarceration will be explored to highlight the financial constraints and heightened mental health challenges present in the considered communities. The paper will then discuss the current layout of Medicaid mental health resources, including limitations and strengths of mental health benefits today, while also considering which populations ought to receive access. Next, this paper will walk through the benefits of eligibility and accessibility to covered Medicaid mental health services. To conclude, three popularly cited oppositions to increased coverage, as well as ethical counterarguments through the lens of Contractualist thinker, John Rawls, will be acknowledged. [From Introduction]