NCJ Number
191835
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 26 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 6-18
Date Published
October 2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article details a survey on inmate health care.
Abstract
There is a burgeoning trend of growth in both health care service provisions and related medical care costs in prisons. Reporting for the survey were 49 correctional systems, including the District of Columbia. Roughly 9 percent of total prison budgets are spent on health care. Not all systems reported increased spending for health care. Factors related to the increased figures ranged from population growth to additional service provision/cost of medication. The growing number of elderly or chronically ill inmates was noted by 13 percent of the systems. Other factors reflected in the higher costs included salary increases, addition of new facilities, and changes in contractual arrangements. Twenty of the systems reported a 9.5 percent average increase in the number of staff in the related health care categories, while 6.7 percent stated their numbers had decreased. Medical services are provided on-site by an average of 86 percent of the reporting systems and off-site by 14 percent. Communicable disease testing is conducted at intake by 91 percent of the systems, at an inmate’s request in 57 percent, and by a physician’s request in 85 percent of the systems. Use of telemedicine procedures is growing. Medical co-pays are operational in 77 percent of the systems, ranging from 50 cents per outpatient visit or dental appointment to $5 for self-initiated visits. Medication for continued treatment after release is supplied by all but one system. Only 16 systems provide prescriptions for follow-up medications. The facets of health care that are contracted to outside sources include dental, eye exams, hospitalization, laboratory, medical management, medical staffing, medical transport, mental health, pharmacy, radiology, therapy, and a wide variety of specialized services. Regarding the rate structure for such services, 23 systems are on a fee-for-service rate basis and 25 systems operate with a capitated rate. 5 Tables