$100 medical fees imposed on inmates

[Shella Early]

Hi People, Is there anything we can do as a group to try and make changes on the new law, to at least reduce the $100 yearly Medical fees to be imposed in September 2011? This just puts more burden on the families out here.   And the way I understand it, is that the $100 fee will cover for "1 year from the time of payment", and not TDCJ's physical year.  So how are they going to keep up with each persons' payments/contributions, especially if it is done in increments of 50% of the inmates trust fund until the full $100 is obtained??  HHmmmmm   And, are medications covered, or will we need to supply extra monies for that as well?   Let's Talk....   Shella

[Ann Herbert]

You know if it meant that they would get better care. I would be glad to pay it, Of course everyone knows they get the bare minimum. And it takes forever to get that. Several times my son has been told they have no record of him being seen for some problems. That is scary. It makes me wonder. They must not enter everything into computer. Then it takes longer to get care and medication. Sometimes the guard won't allow my son to go to pill window when he has meds to pick up. Thank you for being concerned.     Ann
 

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Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 16:16:39 -0700
From: sea...@att.net
Subject: [TIFA Talk:1429] $100 medical fees imposed on inmates
To: tifa...@googlegroups.com

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[dalla...@aol.com]

yes, that is suppose to cover med. as I understand it . also they will be able to buy some over the counter meds from commissary.

-----Original Message-----
From: Shella Early <sea...@att.net>
To: Tifa-Talk <tifa...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sat, Aug 20, 2011 6:16 pm
Subject: [TIFA Talk:1429] $100 medical fees imposed on inmates

[Susan Fenner]

I agree, Ann.  I'd pay that amount and more if my son needed special medical care.  Generally, that is not an option available to any of us. 

Medical 'care' was so very poor prior to the budget cuts and this $100 health fee that I might have been tempted to say that it couldn't get any worse, but I know NOT to say that because it can . . . things can always get worse.  I'm concerned about the record keeping, I'm concerned about all the reports that I have received that say inmates are being denied the pill line as a punishment or because there are too many in line or seemingly at the whim of certain COs and staff.  There are some very good people working in the units and I am thankful every day for them.  Unfortunately, there are also some who are not professional and cause problems. 

TDCJ can save time and money if they would get organized.  I know of one inmate who has endured several trips to Galveston to have hernia surgery.  Each time, after he arrived, they told him that he would not have the surgery, and they have sent him back to his unit.  All of this entails a long ride in one of the prison buses . . . uncomfortable, painful, hardly appropriate for someone who needs surgery.  I just checked on my facts for this inmate and found that he will not be getting the surgery unless it strangulates which is, of course, very dangerous.  He was given a truss.  ~Susan

[Silva Payne]

Susan, the same thing happened to my husband 4 years ago, and I'm sad that things have not improved. He did get his surgery on the third visit to Galveston, but was then made to get up and walk to the holding cage just an hour after coming round from the anaesthetic (it was a groin hernia). He spent 2 days with no food because they couldn't decide whether they were going to operate or not.

This medical charge is a tax on inmate families, pure and simple. It wont make the situation any better for anyone: inmates will either not request medical attention until their condition is extremely serious, or they will make sure they get their equivalent of 33 visits each year (it was $3 a visit previously), and both of those scenarios will simply increase the load on medical services across TDCJ.

I'm not against paying for what you use, but this really hasn't been thought through properly.

Silva

 

http://silvaculture.blogspot.com/

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[Bonnie]

Please read the announcement (in full) on the TDCJ website - left side
of the home page. It is the 1st posting on the site. The $100 does
not cover several types of care and for which there is no fee. And the
last sentence "You will not be denied health care if you do not have
money in your trust fund account to pay the fee."