A bill that would have established a co-payment system for inmates requesting non-emergency medical visits was bracketed Jan. 19 at the request of the bill sponsor.<\/p>\n
LB113, introduced by O\u2019Neill Sen. Tyson Larson, would have allowed a county jail or the state Department of Correctional Services to charge up to\u00a0$10 for every self-initiated, non-emergency visit to a health care provider.<\/p>\n
Larson said Jan. 14 that 40 states and the federal government already have implemented inmate co-payment systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a world of rising health care costs, [LB113] can give at least some assistance to state and counties that are providing expensive medical care to inmates,\u201d he said. \u201cIt ensures that [inmates] receive medical care and are not unduly punished in situations where medical care is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treatment for a chronic illness, emergency care of any kind and staff initiated care all were exempt from co-payment in the bill.<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers opposed LB113 and filed a motion to recommit the bill to committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will fight any bill that makes money on the sickness of people in [the counties\u2019] care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. Tanya Cook supported the motion, saying that a $10 co-payment represents a significant amount of money for many people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prison population, while they have been convicted of charges through jury or judgments, disproportionately represent the poor in the United States,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we talk about getting $10 [from an inmate\u2019s account], it\u2019s not because the person is earning $10 an hour within that facility. It\u2019s also unlikely that they have family members and friends who have extra money to put into that [account].\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg said the bill would ease the current demand on correctional resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last six months, Dawson County has spent nearly $20,000 paying directly for [inmate health care] services. A significant number of these trips to medical facilities are not warranted by a real health issue,\u201d Williams said. \u201c[LB113] is an attempt to curb those unneeded trips, not an attempt to stop people from going to the doctor if it\u2019s necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Omaha Sen. John McCollister supported the motion to recommit the bill to the Judiciary Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cConceptually, I support LB113. It would be a good way to control some of our health care expenses [as a state],\u201d he said. \u201cHowever it may not be worth the time and money some counties would have to devote to [its implementation].\u201d<\/p>\n
The motion to recommit LB113 to committee failed on a 16-23 vote.<\/p>\n
Chambers filed several motions to delay a vote\u00a0on the bill. The Legislature adjourned for the week before voting on them.<\/p>\n
Upon reconvening Jan. 19, Larson requested that the bill be bracketed until April 20, effectively killing the bill for the session. There were no objections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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