Jasdeep Kler (MPP ‘26) has won the Ford School’s Ali Family Memorial Writing Prize for his work, “Michigan’s Re-entry Healthcare Waiver is a Start, Now it Needs Real Reform.” The student writing prize recognizes written work that researches, analyzes, or contributes to a further understanding of health-related policy concerns.
“We were so impressed with Kler’s well-argued and evidence-based editorial to increase access to Medicaid for formerly incarcerated populations, " said Professor Pamela Herd, who chaired the review committee. “We’re so proud to have him as a Ford Student.”
Kler’s opinion piece analyzes Michigan’s Section 115 Medicaid waiver, which was approved in December 2024. The waiver allows eligible incarcerated individuals to enroll in Medicaid up to 90 days before their scheduled release in an attempt to improve healthcare transitions and avoid deadly coverage gaps. While Kler acknowledges the waiver as a step forward, he argues that it still leaves many administrative hurdles intact that increase costs, undermine successful reentry, and risk lives.
Drawing from successful reentry Medicaid programs piloted in California and Washington, Kler outlines several reforms, including automatic Medicaid enrollment, guaranteed 90- day post-release Medicaid coverage, and statewide deployment of reentry healthcare navigators. He argues that these reforms are “not just compassionate, but cost effective.”
“The administrative burden isn’t just inconvenient - it’s lethal,” Kler writes, citing the 12.7 higher mortality rate among formerly incarcerated people in the first two weeks post-release. He emphasizes the racial equity implications of healthcare access during reentry, particularly for Black and Indigenous communities who are already disproportionately impacted by incarceration.
“Implementing a more robust healthcare safety net for reentering citizens would save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and reduce recidivism,” Kler said. “However, these recommendations require significant public understanding that investing in reentering citizens is an investment in our society and is fundamental to the ethos of rehabilitation.”
About the Ali Family Memorial Writing Prize
The Ali Family Memorial Prize is awarded annually to a Ford School student or group of students for written work that researches, analyzes, or contributes to a further understanding of health-related policy concerns. The prize was established with a gift from associate professor of practice Javed Ali and his sister Meher Ali to honor their parents, Dr. Shafqat and Dr. Zaheda Ali. Dr. Shafqat and Dr. Ali were born in India and spent their lives as medical professionals practicing in New York and Great Britain before settling in southeast Michigan in the early 1970s.
