Overcoming Barriers to Health Care during Reentry with the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (NC FIT) Program: Patient Perspectives.

Transitions Clinic Network (TCN) programs facilitate continuity of care for people with chronic conditions recently released from incarceration. Despite widespread implementation of TCN programs and their association with positive reentry outcomes, studies have yet to examine clients' perspectives on the programs' most helpful traits for overcoming reentry barriers to health care. Therefore, we interviewed 19 clients from the TCN-affiliated North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (NC FIT) Program. Respondents' identified reentry barriers included financial challenges, difficulties with health care system navigation, and insufficient community resources. They reported that NC FIT helped overcome barriers by paying for medications and medical visits and helping them enroll in health care coverage. Respondents said that NC FIT community health workers' ability to foster positive client relationships was foundational to effective service delivery. Findings are considered in the context of recent Medicaid expansion in NC and the need to expand health care reentry services throughout the state.