Requires inmates to make medical co-payments

Title of bill

An act to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring inmates to make medical co-payments

Purpose

To require inmates in New York State correctional facilities to make co-payments in the amount of ten dollars for medical treatment.

Summary of provisions

Adds a new section, 607, to the correction law to require co-payments for medical treatments to inmates in the amount of ten dollars. An inmate will not be refused treatment for lack of ability to pay co-payment charges. Each inmate will be required to sign a log at the time of visit. Each medical co-payment will then be posted to the inmates account and each inmate will receive an account statement at the end of each month. Inmates are not assessed charges for psychiatric visits. All money collected pursuant to this section will be made available for the operation of the facility.

Justification

New York currently spends approximately $120 million each year on prison health services. Instituting a ten dollar co-payment on inmates for medical treatment will reduce the large number of abusive medical visits to providers and provide a revenue source to address increasing general fund costs for inmate medical care. Inmates currently receive taxpayer-funded medical treatment while in the custody of the Department of Correctional Services.

A number of other states have already enacted co-payments for inmate medical services, including Arizona, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. These programs have worked with great success. In some states, the abuse in the number of sick-call visits by inmates reduced by more than 75%.

Legislative history

New Bill

Fiscal implications

Increased revenue to help fund inmate healthcare.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law, except that any rule or regulation necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.