Who Pays The Medical Bills For Inmates In The County Jail?
Is the county responsible for providing necessary medical care to prisoners housed in the county jail or workhouse? Yes. Under T.C.A. 41-4-115(a), all counties are required to provide medical care to prisoners incarcerated in the county jail. Also, the United States Supreme Court has held that prisoners have a constitutional right to receive necessary medical care while in custody. City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital, 463 U.S. 239 (1983). If the county fails to provide necessary medical care, it may be liable under 42 U.S.C. 1983 for any injuries the prisoner may suffer as a result of lack of medical care. Op. Tenn. Atty. Gen. U90-134. Does providing medical care include payment for the treatment? Not necessarily. The county has fulfilled its constitutional obligation by seeing that the inmate is taken promptly to a hospital or other appropriate facility that provides the necessary treatment, and as long as the county ensures that the medical care is provided, the Constitu
