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| Prison director considers switching to private health care |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 01/19/2004 |
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The Corrections Department pays almost twice the national average for health care for sick inmates, and the director says he's considering privatization. Jon Ozmint told The Greenville News the Corrections Department is seeking bids on health care and a decision could be made by summer. Whether the agency will switch to a private system will depend on the services offered and the prices charged. The prison system spends $56 million annually on inmate health care, 19 percent of its budget, Ozmint said. The national average is 10 percent. It is almost impossible to say how many inmates seek medical care each year because so many go in and out of hospitals, Ozmint said. Because of state infirmary closings and cuts to medical programs, the state is spending more than $3 million to house sick patients at private facilities. The prison system is inundated by more inmates staying longer and needing greater medical attention, state records show. About 4,400 inmates have more than 10 years on their sentences, state records show. That is 1,500 more than a decade ago. About 400 people are serving life sentences with no chance for parole. There were 323 inmates older than 60 in 2002, up from 220 in 1993, records show. Prisons in other states are scrambling to provide health care for sick inmates, said Judy Greenspan, a California prisoner advocate. Funding for education and training programs to help inmates leave early are being cut to pay for older inmates' medical needs, she said. A possible solution is releasing some older prisoners considered unlikely to commit more crimes, Greenspan said. Some states are considering paroling people with serious medical problems so they can seek private care and not add to state costs, Greenspan said. |
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