[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 166 (Friday, October 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE FAIRNESS IN FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS MEDICAL CARE 
                              ACT OF 2018

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 5, 2018

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Fairness in Federal 
Bureau of Prisons Medical Care Act of 2018. 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 can be substantial. That money could 
better be used to pay child support or 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.
  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 will likely save the 
federal government money in the long run.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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