Introduction of the Fairness in Federal Bureau of Prisons Medical Care Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, in recognition of April being Second Chance Month, I introduce the Fairness in Federal Bureau of Prisons Medical Care Act of 2019. This bill would remove the current copay Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates are required to pay to visit a BOP-provided doctor.

Under current BOP rules, inmates are required to ``pay a fee for health services of $2.00 per health care visit.'' While $2.00 may seem insignificant, when inmates earn only twelve to forty cents per hour on their work assignments, $2.00 is substantial. That money could better be used to pay for the cost of necessities. Moreover, while copays can discourage unnecessary appointments, we should be encouraging inmates to seek medical care before conditions become worse and more expensive for taxpayers. Preventative care is much less expensive for the federal government than costly treatment that could have been avoided by a simple doctor's visit earlier in the process. That is what medical science advises for Americans as a health practice.

Under current BOP rules, if an inmate is found responsible through the Disciplinary Hearing Process of having caused another inmate's injury that required a medical visit, the offending inmate is required to pay the $2.00 copay for the injured inmate's visit. That rule would not change under my bill.

Removing this unnecessary copay would allow inmates to see a doctor and receive the medical treatment they need, and would likely save the federal government money in the long run.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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