Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509060065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The medical copayment policy started July 1. Inmates are charged $5 for medical treatment, $2 for dental services and $2 for each original order of medications.
According to the Department of Corrections, inmates were seen by nurses an average of 40,916 times a month in the major institutions between April and June. In July, the number of visits fell to 27,812.
``Medical copayments will be a great benefit to the taxpayers of Virginia,'' said Secretary of Public Safety Jerry Kilgore.
Inmate fees go to a pilot project providing live two-way audio and video communications between Powhatan Correctional Center Hospital and the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. The project allows doctors to consult on a variety of health issues.
Ron Angelone, director of the Department of Corrections, proposed the copayment to discourage frivolous health-care requests in a system that has been hard-pressed to meet demands. About 60 percent of the state's 24,000 inmates get some sort of medication or health care each day.
``Copay teaches responsibility for the use of expensive resources,'' said Fred Schilling, the department's director of health services. ``Since most of society pays a copayment for health-care benefits, inmates should also make a copayment.''
The new policy says inmates will not be refused medical treatment if they are unable to pay.
Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Virginia, said the ACLU has concerns about the new policy.
``The result is likely to be that prisoners will not seek medical attention when they should, and taxpayers will ultimately pay more because preventive care or early care didn't occur,'' Willis said.
But he said the policy is clearly legal, and there is little the ACLU can do except respond to any legitimate inmate complaints.
by CNB