B7 - Partnering for Justice Reentry: Medicaid’s Role in Transforming Care and Changing Outcomes

Monday, April 27, 2026

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM MDT

Location: Bluebird 3C

Unrestricted Education Sponsor

Jeanelle Romero from the New Mexico Healthcare Authority, Medical Assistance Division (HCA-MAD), joins the panel to share the state’s leadership advancing services for justice-involved populations through its Justice Reentry waiver, enhancements to existing reentry programs, and implementation of new federal requirements through the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA). NM is among the first states to implement comprehensive supports, creating a model for how Medicaid can bridge correctional health and community-based care. Their perspective highlights the opportunities, challenges, and lessons in translating federal waiver authority into meaningful change on the ground and discuss tangible opportunities for partnership across the behavioral health spectrum.

Learning Objectives:

Examine the connection between lived experience and Medicaid policy design by exploring how personal stories, like Michal’s, illuminate the real-world impact of justice-involved healthcare reform.
Learn how states are implementing changes in healthcare to improve care coordination and outcomes. Explore how cross-agency collaboration and Medicaid policy can advance equity, reduce recidivism, and improve health outcomes.
Identify key challenges and opportunities in bridging correctional health and Medicaid-funded services, including financing, partnerships, and operational strategies.

Disclosure(s):

Michal Rudnick: No financial relationships to disclose

Jeanelle Romero: No financial relationships to disclose

Chase Napier, MBA: No financial relationships to disclose

Breakout Presenter(s)

Michal Rudnick

Principal
Mercer Government
Phoenix, Arizona

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Slides
Jeanelle Romero

New Mexico Medicaid Bureau Chief
Health Care Authority /NM Medicaid
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Chase Napier, MBA

Senior Associate
Mercer
Olympia, Washington

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose