[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 68 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E489-E490]
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 2019

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 2019

  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.

[[Page E490]]

  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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