Michigan must eliminate the $5 copay for prison health care

Last month, we let you know about a bill introduced to the Michigan Senate that would eliminate the $5 co-pay levied on incarcerated people for nonemergency medical services. Senate Bill 318 would simply remove the copay, which can serve as a barrier between people and the medical, dental, or optical care. SJM supports the passage of this bill as part of our work to eliminate onerous fines and fees placed on incarcerated people and justice-impacted families in Michigan.

Unlike fines and restitution, fees are not intended to punish. They are a revenue-generating tool for government and private industries. Last year, we were successful in including language in the Michigan budget that directed the state to consider the harmful impacts of excessive fees on loved ones and support supporters of incarcerated Michigan. The $5 copay is another one of those fees.

The copay to access prison health care was intended to offset the overall cost of delivering health care services in prison. However, the amount collected in co-pays represents a tiny portion of what the state pays to provide medical care in prison. In the current fiscal year, the state allocated $375 million for prison health services. The amount collected in co-pays was just $257,200, or about a tenth of 1 percent of the overall Michigan Department of Correction's health care budget. Instead of lowering health care costs, copays increase costs by causing incarcerated Michiganders to delay care. Several studies document the chilling effect copays have on health utilization. When an individual can't afford health care, either inside or outside of prison, they prioritize other necessities until their conditions become impossible to ignore and costlier to treat. Removing the copay requires legislative action, as a current law requires a copay for nonemergency medical help in prison. This bill is yet to be scheduled for a hearing, although we are hopeful one will take place in the coming months. Safe & Just Michigan has created resources explaining the $5 copay, why it is a concern, and why eliminating it requires lawmakers to act. An overview of the campaign to end the copay can be seen at bit.ly/SJMCopay and you can read a factsheet explaining the issue at bit.ly/SJMCopayFacts.

Help amplify Inside Voices

Inside Voices is a written by justice-involved people currently incarcerated in Michigan prisons that is published in our hardcopy newsletter. While space in the printed newsletter is limited, we are able to post more of them online for everyone to read. If you would like to encourage someone who is incarcerated to submit a letter, please tell them they can send a letter of 300 words or less on criminal justice reform, pending legislation, re-entry or related topics to Inside Voices, c/o Safe & Just Michigan, 119 Pere Marquette Drive, Suite 2A, Lansing, MI 48912. To learn more, visit us at www.safeandjustmi.org. If you would like to join our efforts, email us at info@safeandjustmi.org or sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/sjmsignup.

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