Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to involve the University of California (UC) to oversee state prison inmate health care aims to save the state $12 billion over a period of ten years. 

 

In previous years, prisoner medical expenses peaked at an average of $2.3 billion per year with no checks and controls in place under the supervision of the court receiver’s office. According to a report conducted on health requirements of state prisoners, currently the cost of each inmate’s health care is $41.25 per day. Under the Schwarzenegger proposal, it would come down to $19.34 per day.

 

This proposal actually falls in line with the University’s principle to work with medically neglected segments of the population such as prisoners. The initiative with the UC will initially start with only eleven Northern California prisons, eventually extending across the entire state to service 33 prisons.

 

If his plan is passed, one of the key developments would be the establishment of localised and centralised hospital centers. These would be located within short distance of the prisons to provide health care to ailing inmates without the hassle of transporting them over long distances as is currently done. This proposal also plans to develop a centralized method for medical care with the use of telemedicine. Here, patients can be examined via satellite by doctors and specialists from different locations across the U.S. Obviously, this method will cut overheads in medical costs. These costs also include payment of prison staff for extra duty.  Telemedicine is a breakthrough in medical administration and prisons are an ideal place for its usage.

 

A new system of recording and collecting data electronically will also be established. There is a plan to move towards affordable bulk purchasing of drugs as well.

 

 

Another major focus of this program is to attempt to minimize the interference in California’s prison medical care by federal courts. This however is part of a more long term agenda. Meanwhile, federal judges continue to look into inmate lawsuits on inadequate healthcare. 

 

Other states where this system has been tested include Texas, New Jersey and Georgia where the cost per prisoner’s health care is a mere $10 a day!  Annual health care bills of California amount to $2.4 billion but Texas pays a reasonable $423 million,

 

Meanwhile, the proposal met with firm opposition from the Union of American Physicians and Dentists. They have criticised the move as serving the financial interests of UC’s senior vice president for health sciences John Stobo who was earlier linked with the company that prepared the recommendations report.

 

However, the fact remains that this type of reform has run successfully in other states. Not only does this plan look like it could benefit state prisons, but also help with the state deficit.