Reentry from a carceral setting

Participation

The Reentry Initiative Policy and Operations Guide (updated August 2026) outlines the process for participation and provides detailed instructions on how to implement the requirements of the Reentry Initiative. The key objectives of this guide are to establish clear policies, standardize procedures, promote coordination, ensure accountability, and support continuous improvement. This guide is for facilities, county behavioral health agencies, health care providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), local health jurisdictions, Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs), and managed care organizations (MCOs) participating in or supporting the Reentry Initiative.

Go live

As of July 1, 2026, all cohorts are live and providing Reentry Initiative services.

Third-party administrator

A third-party administrator (TPA) is an organization that provides administrative support and services on behalf of another entity. Community Health Partnership Services (CHPS), a division of Community Health Plan of Washington, will serve as the TPA for the Reentry Initiative. Participating facilities can use CHPS as a claims clearinghouse to assist with reentry services billing and claiming. CHPS is also available to provide facilities with technical and administrative assistance. Please see the CHPS website for more information.

Additional contact information:

• Claims/billing and provider enrollment
• Technical assistance
• Reentry Case Management
• Fair hearings
• Phone: 1-800-461-0305

Reentry Initiative milestones

To participate, carceral facilities will move through five key milestones over the course of the program.

Milestone 1: Intent to Participate

To show interest in and a commitment to participating in the Reentry Initiative, facilities were asked to submit an Intent to Participate form to HCA. The Milestone 1 deadline for all cohorts has passed. Once a facility submitted this form, a portion of the capacity building funding became available and they were able to move to the next milestones.

For additional information, please see the Initial requirements guidance document and the available resources section on this page.

Milestone 2: Capacity Building Application (CBA)

To complete Milestone 2, participating carceral facilities had to complete the Capacity Building Application - Attestations form and submit it to HCA. Each question in the form represents a program requirement that facilities must be able to fulfill in order to go live. For support and additional information, view the Introduction to the CBA. The Milestone 2 deadline for all cohorts has passed.

Additionally, the following sections of the capacity building funds budget template are a part of Milestone 2:

• Required: Capacity building funds budget (Planning & Implementation tab)
• Required: Complete the IT infrastructure budget (Option IT Infrastructure tab)
• Optional: List the providers who will use HCA’s free claims clearinghouse (Optional Provider List tab)

For more information about meeting the program requirements listed in the CBA - Attestations form, please see the learning series materials.

Milestone 3: Readiness Assessment

As part of Milestone 3, HCA conducted a Readiness Assessment to ensure facilities are fully prepared to launch the Reentry Initiative by a facility's indicated go-live date. Facilities were required to attest to sets of questions and provide narrative responses to demonstrate how they will meet each of the program requirements listed in the CBA. Facilities must have their Readiness Assessment Form approved by HCA to go live and begin billing for Reentry Initiative services. The Milestone 3 deadline for all cohorts has passed.

Steps to complete Milestone 3:

1. Required: Complete and sign the Readiness Assessment Form. (See the Readiness Assessment Background and Rubric for additional information about the elements of the form and the approval procedure.)
2. Required: Complete the IT infrastructure budget in the capacity building funds budget template (Option IT Infrastructure tab)

Milestone 4: Interim Progress Report

The Milestone 4: Interim Progress Report is a required deliverable for all carceral facilities participating in the Reentry Initiative. The purpose of this report is to provide HCA with insight into a facility's implementation of the Reentry Initiative, including successes, challenges, lessons learned, and areas where additional support may be needed. Information submitted through the Interim Progress Report will help HCA monitor a facility's implementation progress, identify technical assistance needs, and ensure overall compliance with program requirements.

• Required: Complete and sign the Milestone 4: Interim Progress Report form

Funding and reimbursement

As with previous Reentry Initiative milestones, Milestone 4 is tied to reimbursement funding. Facilities that successfully complete Milestone 4 and submit the report by the required deadline are eligible for 10% of capacity building funding based on their tier (average daily population).

• Tier 1 (1-49): Up to $100,000
• Tier 2 (50-249): Up to $125,000
• Tier 3 (250-1,000): Up to $150,000
• Tier 4 (more than 1,000): Up to $175,000

Please note that the capacity building funding reimbursement amount is 10%, not 5% as previously communicated.

Instructions for completing the report

1. Download the Milestone 4: Interim Progress Report form to your computer.
2. Review the instructions before completing the form.
3. Complete all required sections, providing detailed information on implementation activities, accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned.
4. Submit the completed report to the HCA Reentry inbox by your facility's required due date.
5. Retain a copy of the submitted Interim Progress Report for your records.
6. Ensure that all contact information is accurate and that the form includes the required signature(s) prior to submission.

Report due dates

Milestone 4: Interim Progress Report deadlines are based on a facility's Reentry Initiative cohort and go-live date. The following table details each cohort’s go-live date with its associated Milestone 4 deadline.

Cohort	Go-live date	Interim Progress Report due date
Cohort 1a	July 1, 2025	October 1, 2026
Cohort 1b	November 1, 2025	February 1, 2027
Cohort 2a	January 1, 2026	April 1, 2027
Cohort 2b	March 1, 2026	June 1, 2027
Cohort 3	July 1, 2026	July 1, 2027

Assistance

If you have questions about completing the Interim Progress Report, submission requirements, reporting timelines, or milestone reimbursement, please contact CHPS, the Reentry Initiative’s third-party administrator. Additionally, you can email questions to the HCA Reentry inbox. We encourage facilities to review the reporting materials early and reach out with any questions prior to their submission deadline.

Milestone 5: Final Progress Report

Participating facilities will be required to submit the Milestone 5: Final Progress Report in 2028. Instructions for this deliverable will occur closer to the timeline.

Available resources

General materials

• Reentry Initiative Policy and Operations Guide (updated August 2026)
• Reentry Initiative FAQs (updated August 2026)
• Reentry Initiative overview (April 2024)
• 3 ways a carceral facility can receive Medicaid funding infographic (October 2024)
• Authorization and information sharing consent from for reentry case management (January 2025)
• Reentry health screening form - Carceral facilities may use this form after an Apple Health (Medicaid) client is eligible and/or between 90 and 120 days prior to the client’s release to support the reentry health screening requirement.
• Reentry health assessment addendum - Carceral facilities can use this form in conjunction with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Intake Screening Form as part of a client’s health care assessment.
• Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) in jails: Standard of care guidelines (updated August 2026) - This resource is a simplified reference that provides standard of care guidelines for jails and their clinicians to follow while treating an incarcerated individual with opioid use disorder (OUD) and/or alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Reentry health care resources - Carceral facilities can share this handout with individuals as they leave incarceration, which provides detailed information about how to access Apple Health services for managed care clients or Apple Health clients without a managed care plan.
• Reimbursement for Naloxone in Carceral Settings - This resource is available to assist carceral facilities in understanding the distinction between dispensing and administering Naloxone, which is essential for determining appropriate reimbursement pathways.

Learning series webinars

Date	Event	Related materials
January 8, 2025	Reentry Initiative provider enrollment	Webinar slide deck (01/08/25) Webinar recording (01/08/25)
January 15, 2025	Reentry Initiative MCO contracting and credentialing	Webinar slide deck (01/15/25) Webinar recording (01/15/25)
January 22, 2025	Reentry Initiative client eligibility and enrollment	Webinar slide deck (01/22/25) Webinar recording (01/22/25)
February 5, 2025	Reentry Initiative benefits (part 1)	Webinar slide deck (02/05/25) Webinar recording (02/05/25)
February 19, 2025	Reentry Initiative benefits (part 2)	Webinar slide deck (02/19/25) Webinar recording (02/19/25)
March 5, 2025	Reentry Initiative data exchange requirements	Webinar slide deck (03/05/25) Webinar recording (03/05/25)
March 12, 2025	Reentry Initiative Readiness Assessment	Webinar recording (3/12/25) Readiness Assessment Form Readiness Assessment Background and Rubric
March 19, 2025	Reentry Initiative Q&A	Webinar slide deck (03/19/25) Webinar recording (03/19/25)
June 25, 2025	Reentry Targeted Case Management (rTCM)	Webinar slide deck (06/25/25) Webinar recording (06/25/25)
July 9, 2025	Reentry Initiative: Associating servicing providers to a billing provider	Webinar slide deck (07/09/25) Webinar recording (07/09/25)

Cohort office hour resources

Date	Event	Related materials
August 6, 2025	Reentry Initiative: Cohort 2 Readiness Assessment Office Hour	Webinar recording (08/06/25) Milestone 3: Readiness Assessment form
July 16, 2025	Reentry Initiative Cohort 3 welcome webinar	Webinar slide deck (07/16/25) Webinar recording (07/16/25)
December 17, 2024	Reentry Initiative 101	Webinar slide deck (12/17/25) Webinar recording (12/17/25)
November 21, 2024	Reentry Initiative cohort discussion	Webinar slide deck
October 15, 2024	Reentry Initiative cohort discussion	Webinar slide deck (10/15/25) Webinar recording (10/15/25)
September 23, 2024	Reentry Initiative cohort discussion	Webinar slide deck (09/23/25)
July 23, 2024	Reentry Initiative cohort discussion	Webinar slide deck (07/23/25) Webinar recording (07/23/25)
May 13, 2024	Reentry Initiative virtual office hour	Webinar recording (part 1) Webinar recording (part 2)
April 2024	Reentry Initiative Q&A webinar	Webinar slide deck (04/2025) Webinar recording (04/2025)

News

CHPW named apparent successful bidder for Reentry Initiative (February 19, 2025)

HCA invites Washington carceral facilities to participate in MTP Reentry Initiative.

• Tribal jails invitation to participate — letter from Dr. Charissa Fotinos, HCA Medicaid and Behavioral Health Medical Director (January 2025)
• Carceral facilities invitation to participate — letter from Dr. Charissa Fotinos (April 2024)
• View press release
• View announcement

Sign up for general Reentry Initiative announcements. Participating facilities may contact the Reentry Initiative team to be included on more specific program-related communications about deadlines, available resources, and upcoming events.

Why is this initiative important?

Through this initiative, we aim to:

• Prepare people for a successful transition and reentry into their community and help them live their healthiest life.
• Improve health outcomes and reduce recidivism (re-offense), emergency department visits, overdoses, and death.
• Support substance use disorder and recovery and target infectious diseases like Hepatitis C before a person’s release.
• Stabilize and treat other conditions before a person’s release, so they can reenter their community as healthy as possible.

What services will the initiative provide?

This initiative will support and fund the delivery of targeted prerelease services to Apple Health-eligible adults and youth in state prisons, jails, and youth carceral facilities. HCA will require participating facilities to support the first five Reentry Initiative Benefit services below. The remaining six services are optional, and facilities may implement them individually.

• Reentry Targeted Case Management (rTCM)
• Reentry SUD: Evaluation of and medication for substance use disorder (including opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder)
• Reentry Pharmacy: 30-day supply of medications and medical supplies at release
• Pre-adjudication CAA-eligible clients: Apple Health benefits*
• Post-adjudication CAA-eligible clients: Clinical assessment and evaluation*
• Clinical assessment and evaluation for adults
• Reentry Pharmacy: Pre-release medications (medications during the pre-release period)
• Laboratory services
• Radiology services
• Services by providers with lived experience
• Medical equipment and supplies at release

View our overview.

*Indicates a Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA) covered service. Facilities that have opted to participate in the Reentry Initiative also fulfill the requirements of the CAA. Facilities that have not opted into the Reentry Initiative are eligible to provide services according to the CAA. Per the CAA, additional benefits affect facilities that house youth under age 21 and foster care alumni up to age 26. Those benefits are:

• Provide rTCM and clinical assessment and evaluation services during post-adjudication, and
• Provide Apple Health benefits during pre-adjudication beyond those listed under the Reentry Initiative.

By offering a limited set of health care benefit services, the Reentry Initiative aims to bridge the gap between facility settings and community reintegration. This ensures that individuals have the necessary support to lead healthy, productive lives after their release.

Additional resources:

• Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 informational document
• HCA webpage: Program options for the justice involved

Additional information

Background on reentry legislation and MTP

• Senate Bill (SB) 6430 passed in 2016, which allowed HCA to suspend—and not terminate—Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals.
• In 2021, House Bill 1348 passed, which delays the suspension of an incarcerated person’s Medicaid coverage. SB 5304 also passed in 2021, which allowed HCA to seek federal funding to:
  • Provide prerelease services to a person leaving a carceral setting.
  • Maximize care coordination, so a person can transition into their community successfully and be connected to the care and services they need.
• MTP is Washington State's Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver, which is an agreement between the Health Care Authority (HCA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
  • In June 2023, CMS approved MTP to continue for an additional five years. The MTP renewal—called MTP 2.0—began July 1, 2023, and ends June 30, 2028.
  • MTP (the waiver) is what allows our state to have the reentry program and provide certain Medicaid services up to 90 days before a person’s release.

Impacts before reentry legislation

Before 2017, people had to reapply for Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage after release (because their coverage was terminated and not suspended). That process took a while to show a person as eligible for Medicaid coverage, so—during their most vulnerable and at-risk time—released individuals could not:

• Receive necessary medications, equipment, or treatments.
• Access medical or health-related social needs services, such as:
  • Scheduling an appointment with a health care provider or counselor.
  • Securing housing, food, or transportation.

This delay created significant dangers for people with substance use disorder, serious mental illness, or other behavioral health need.

HCA’s reentry workgroup

In 2021, HCA formed the Reentry Advisory Workgroup, which plays a crucial role in our state’s reentry work. This workgroup—and the four subcommittees they oversee—are working on:

• Improving communication with managed care organizations (MCOs) for when an enrollee is incarcerated.
• Exploring a real-time data-sharing solution to provide booking and release notifications.
• Transmitting health records (which is especially important for jails), using HCA’s Clinical Data Repository.

In past work, the Reentry Advisory Workgroup added jail locations to a file that informs MCOs of an enrollee’s incarceration location. In partnership with MCOs, they also identified a solution that provides pharmacies same-day access upon an individual’s release.

• This way, a pharmacy can fill a person’s prescription the same day as their release, which is essential for medications and treatments for SUD and other behavioral health conditions.

Read the 2023 Reentry Community Services Workgroup legislative report.