# 119-s-5231: Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act

119-s-5231, Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-20).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5231
- As of: 2026-08-20
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5231
- Congress: 119
- Title: Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-20

## Summary

**Restore health coverage during pretrial custody.** This bill would remove inmate-related eligibility limits that blocked Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits for people in custody awaiting disposition of charges and would redefine coverage during pretrial detention across programs while preserving some short timing carve-outs and effective dates. - People in pretrial custody: Would be eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP while detained, restoring access to health care during the pretrial period. - Veterans in custody: Aligns Department of Veterans Affairs regulations so VA health benefits can apply during custody pending disposition as specified by the bill. - Program and state administrators: Amends federal statutes and VA rules and sets program-specific effective dates and limited carve-outs, requiring agencies to update eligibility and enrollment processes.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- CHIP coverage for detained children: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would let children who are inmates in a public institution and are held pending disposition of charges keep or get CHIP coverage. It would also let States cover required screenings, diagnostic services, referrals, and case management for up to 30 days before release. These cha…
- Medicaid coverage during pretrial custody: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would change Medicaid rules so the inmate exclusion does not bar coverage while a person is in custody pending disposition of charges. Medicaid could pay for items and services furnished to an individual during that pretrial custody. These changes would apply to items and serv…
- Medicare coverage for detained beneficiaries: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would amend Medicare rules so the inmate exclusion does not block Medicare-covered items or services furnished while a person is in custody pending disposition of charges. Medicare could cover care provided during that pretrial detention. These changes would apply to items and…
- VA health eligibility for detained veterans: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to change VA regulations so veterans in custody pending disposition of charges are not excluded from VA health care. The directive would take effect on the date of enactment, allowing eligible veterans in pretrial custody to remai…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5231 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5231)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5231 (as of 2026-08-20).