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Thursday, February 27, 1997

Bill to require medical co-pay opposed

By JUAN B. ELIZONDO Jr. Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) - Families of incarcerated Texans spoke up Wednesday against a House bill requiring Texas prisoners to pay part of the cost of their medical care.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Todd Staples, is similar to a bill already passed by the Senate. It would require a $3 co-payment from inmates with money in their prison accounts.

Families of Texas inmates said they put the money in those accounts to pay for such basics as toothpaste and shampoo.

"We're taxpayers," said Coralynn Young, whose husband is in prison. "This is taxing us twice. My children already have to go without some things. I was naive enough to think that toothpaste and other things are taken care of in prison. They're not."

Mrs. Young said her husband has problems related to a fractured bone and needs medical treatment. She said a $3 co-payment will be a heavy burden.

But Staples said inmates with serious medical problems would be exempted from the co-payment. He said his bill is needed to reduce the number of prisoners who take up prison nurses' and doctors' time because they want out of their cells or out of work duty.

"This also will help those (with real medical problems) because it will allow doctors and nurses to concentrate on them," Staples said. His bill was left pending in the House Corrections Committee.

According to Staples, Texas prisoners spend millions of dollars from their accounts on snacks and soda. He said some of that money should be used to pay for medical treatment.

Other states have seen the number of doctor visits in prison drop by up to 30 percent with similar laws, Staples said.

But Stuart DeLuca, chairman of the board for the Texas Inmate Family Association, said reducing the number of doctor visits could result in an unhealthy prison population. That, he said, could increase latter costs.

"Prisons aren't pleasurable places," DeLuca said. "They also aren't healthy places."

He said one way to reduce doctor visits, while maintaining prisoners' health, is to make more available over-the-counter medications like aspirin and antacids. All medication now requires trips to prison doctors, he said.

"Do some inmates go (out of boredom), maybe. But some of them don't know if they are sick or not. Some have never had medical treatment except in emergency situations," he said.

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The inmate co-pay bill in the House is HB214. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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