Medical Care is Top Concern of Prison Administrators
Friday, February 18th, 2011Without direct experience one can only begin to imagine the layers of challenges involved with prison management. Obviously, one challenge is making sure the prison is secure so that prisoners cannot escape. This is certainly the most compelling challenge to the American public, as evidenced in our fascination with movies like “Escape from Alcatraz” and “Papillon.” This is that has the most interest for the general public, and has been dramatized in films such as “Escape from Alcatraz”. Another concern of prison administrators is providing for the basic essentials for the inmates such as food, clothing and shelter. Beyond these basic needs, inmates also have medical and health needs that must be addressed through a range of services. Not gym equipment but health care.
The soaring cost of medical care to the general public is mirrored in the prison system. Some facilities’ health care is provided directly by the state, but it is more and more common that states are contracting to for-profit prison health care providers such as NaphCare. In fact, a decent market has developed for these companies. This system is mutually beneficial – the states have one less concern when it comes to managing prison facilities and the companies have more and more business. Despite these benefits, a problem remains: medical care is pricey and each year, the numbers of inmates rises. While the country is not running out of land to house prisoners as is the case in some countries, the U.S. prison system is financially strained, to put it lightly. To combat oversized budgets, some states have passed laws that obligate them to choose the lowest bidding prison health care provider.
While low bids are appealing when it comes to balancing the budget, the quality of the care provided should also be considered. Unlike other companies, NaphCare provides cost-effective on-site dialysis treatment to inmates. The company’s electronic medical records system, known as TechCare, increases efficiency and accuracy of patient care by ensuring that patients receive the proper medications when needed. The antiquated paper record-keeping systems that some prisons still employ make this no easy task. Some private prison health care providers may submit a lower bid, but their services are accompanied by hidden costs because they provide fewer services on-site. These companies may look to be a more affordable option, but ambulance fees incurred in order to transport patients for off-site services soon outweigh the set-up costs to establish the infrastructure needed to provide most services at the prison. Another company, Prison Health Services – is a prominent provider of private medical services to prisons – has come under harsh criticism for its practices. Among many faults, the company has been found to regularly deny prisoners of needed medical services for the sake of the company’s bottom line.
Denying healthcare to someone in need to make a profit is clearly wrong and mean-spirited. However, like any other private company, Prison Health Services needs to clear a profit in order to be viable. They are competing in a market in which the buyer is forced to choose the lowest price option. As the demand for prisons rises, states cannot spread their monies to fund the facilities properly and in the current economic climate politicians are frightened to raise taxes. States are turning to NaphCare to find an efficient and professional alternative to providing medical care in prisons themselves. But even the best company may struggle to provide adequate care when states’ contracts – and their budgets – are not adequate to meet the needs of the growing prison population.
