Given the choice between a doctor\u2019s visit or spending their money on other basic needs, inmate advocates say many will choose the latter,\u00a0 which could ultimately mean a greater expense for taxpayers who may have to foot the bill for emergency procedures down the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very restrictive barrier to basic health care,\u201d said Ken Nixon, director of community outreach and partnerships at the nonprofit advocacy group Safe & Just Michigan. \u201cSomeone may be having what starts out as a minor issue, but because they\u2019ve avoided treatment for so long, it morphs into something larger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taxpayers shoulder the bulk of health care costs for the 32,700 inmates currently housed in Michigan prisons. The current state budget included $374 million for prisoner health care costs, or 17.4% of the $2.1 billion Department of Corrections budget<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, inmates paid $202,580 in health care co-pays, required whenever an inmate initiates a medical, dental or optometric appointment. Exceptions include<\/a> routine assessments, screenings, communicable disease testing or emergency services.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michigan is one of 16 states where the co-pay for health care costs more than the average weekly wage for inmates, according to an analysis of state and federal prison systems<\/a> conducted by the nonprofit advocacy group Prison Policy Initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Michigan\u2019s existing prison population gets older, reform advocates warn that the costs of untreated chronic illnesses will only increase over time if they aren\u2019t addressed at the front end.<\/p>\n Bipartisan legislation<\/a> introduced in the Democratic-majority state Senate this spring would do away with the co-pays entirely in Michigan, leaving exceptions for an inmate to pay for the full costs of any self-inflicted injuries. One Republican, Sen. John Damoose of Harbor Springs, joined seven Democrats as a co-sponsor on the bill.\u00a0<\/p>\n Separately, a budget plan for next fiscal year approved by the Democratic-led Senate includes $500,000 for the Department of Corrections to \u201cmake every effort to lower co-payment amounts paid by prisoners for medical services and other medical needs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s budget plan did not include changes to the co-pay structure, but advocates believe the Michigan Department of Corrections will ultimately back the change.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jenni Riehle, a spokesperson for the corrections department, said potential changes could be a factor in ongoing budget negotiations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMDOC looks forward to finalizing a budget with both the House and Senate that supports our staff and provides quality care to those who are incarcerated, while ensuring continued value for taxpayers,\u201d she told Bridge.<\/p>\n States have traditionally used co-pays as a method to \u201creduce costs associated with unnecessary medical visits by deterring prisoners from over utilizing health care services,\u201d according to a 2023 report<\/a> by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n But state Sen. Rosemary Bayer, a West Bloomfield Democrat co-sponsoring the legislation, said removing barriers to preventive health care could help avoid emergency visits or long-term chronic care in the future, especially for prisoners who are \u201cfundamentally, hugely disadvantaged\u201d in their ability to pay up front.\u00a0<\/p>\n Removing the co-pay could be the difference between the state covering costs for a quick dental appointment or a major emergency tooth extraction and followup repair work, Bayer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not getting the health care they need,\u201d Bayer said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have health care, then you don\u2019t get things fixed before they\u2019re an emergency. Once it\u2019s an emergency, it\u2019s really, really expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n The legislation hasn\u2019t yet come up for a hearing, and a deadlock between the Senate and Republican-led House over budget negotiations could complicate any proposed reforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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