The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Mr. Rush:

Mr. Chair, I would like to offer amendment number 8_001, for the purpose of securing quality care for over 2 million Americans in our nation’s prisons and jails, ensuring the same quality of medical care that others are entitled to under this bill. I think that it is important to do this for a number of reasons, but most importantly, because it is the humane and decent thing to do.

As it now stands, financial responsibility for the medical care of prisoners rests with the governmental institutions holding them—state departments of correction, local sheriff’s offices, and the federal Bureau of Prisons. With growing prison populations and the financial pressures on state and local governments, these institutions often have difficulty providing the medical care that is needed.

Prisoners’ needs are often greater than those of the general public with higher rates of abuse, neglect, and mental illness. Failure to adequately address these problems not only makes prisons unsafe for inmates and the correctional staff, but these disparities pose broader public health risks when prisoners are released.

The proposed amendment addresses these problems by directing federal subsidies under Medicare, Medicaid, and the public option to be extended to eligible prisoners. This will alleviate burdens from institutions, counties, states, and local governments, and enables them to provide better care.

The amendment instructs the Secretary of HHS to set up a mechanism to ensure that the quality of care provided under this program meets appropriate standards;
Ensures prisoners suffering chronic conditions do not fall through the cracks when they are released, but have access to continuing medical care; and requires prison authorities to facilitate the continued enrollment once prisoners are released back into society.

Presently, prisoners are often discharged with a 2 week supply of medicine and left to fend for themselves—with disastrous consequences.

Let me conclude by saying that most of us don’t pay much attention to what happens to prisoners, and we think they deserve whatever they get.

But as we try to ensure that ALL Americans have access to affordable, quality medical care, we should not neglect the 2 million Americans in our prisons and jails, 94 percent of whom will be released at some point.

Better medical care for prisoners and continuity of care is the right thing to do.

Mr. Waxman:

Mr. Rush:
Thank you for this consideration, and I look forward to working more with you on this issue. I withdraw the amendment, and yield back.
I understand your concerns on this issue, as it currently is not addressed in the bill. I would like to look at this more, and work more with you to see how we can better protect this population.
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From Charlie:
The next step will be to express this colloquy in an amendment to HR 3200 that the entire House will consider. Cong.Rush and Chairman Waxman were right to pursue the colloquy approach rather than trying to pass the Rush Amendment in committee. Hopefully the Colloquy will be the first step in a difficult journey toward quality health care for people incarcerated. Charlie