House Concurrent Resolution 125

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE THAT FEDERAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BENEFITS WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED TO PERSONS AFTER THEIR CONVICTION OF A CRIME, AND TO AUTHORIZE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE APPLICATION FOR THOSE BENEFITS FOR PERSONS INCARCERATED IN LOCAL FACILITIES IF THEY DO NOT SEEK CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY FOR THOSE BENEFITS.

WHEREAS, when a person is convicted of a crime in this state and incarcerated in a local facility, it is generally the responsibility of the local government to bear the costs of providing medical care to that person during his or her incarceration; and

WHEREAS, at the time of their conviction, many of those persons are recipients of medical assistance benefits from programs of the federal government, such as Medicare, Medicaid or veterans benefits; and

WHEREAS, after those persons are incarcerated, the federal medical assistance benefits are often discontinued, either because of the requirements of federal law or regulation or because the persons do not pursue continued eligibility for those benefits; and

WHEREAS, if those persons continued to receive the federal medical assistance benefits during their incarceration, the local governments would be relieved of the financial burden of paying all or part of the costs of providing medical care for them:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we urge the United States Congress to enact appropriate legislation that will (1) provide that when a person who is receiving medical assistance benefits from a federal government program is convicted of a crime, those benefits will continue to be provided to the person after his or her conviction, and (2) authorize local governments to make application for federal medical assistance benefits for persons incarcerated in local facilities if those persons do not seek continued eligibility for those benefits.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to each member of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President and President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the majority and minority leaders of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and members of the Capitol Press Corps.