What can a county do to reduce its costs for medical care for prisoners?
Review current procedures relative to prisoners’ medical care with the county attorney to determine what changes need to be made. Check any agreement you may have with a city for incarceration of municipal offenders and make certain that the city is required to to pay the cost of medical treatment. Talk with your local hospital and others who provide treatment for your prisoners. Try to work out an agreement whereby the hospital or other provider will attempt to determine if an inmate has insurance or other means of payment for treatment and if so, attempt to collect from the inmate. For indigent inmates for whom the county must pay, follow up after the prisoner’s release and attempt to collect the cost of medical care provided. Talk with your county attorney about collection procedures.
