Medicaid Expansion and Financial Wellbeing Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: Assessing the Credit Consequences of Two Recent Badgercare Policy Changes in Wisconsin

Recent research has shown that incarceration is detrimental for credit and financial wellbeing. Research has also shown that expanded Medicaid access for recently released, formerly incarcerated individuals is beneficial for employment, healthcare use, and avoiding reincarceration. However, no research has directly examined whether healthcare access may be a channel for promoting improved financial wellbeing and credit outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Sociologist Brielle Bryan will examine the financial implications of expanded Medicaid access for the formerly incarcerated using causal methodologies. She will analyze the impacts of two recent policy changes related to Medicaid enrollment for formerly incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin for her study utilizing credit report data from Experian and data from the Wisconsin Administrative Data Core.