County officials and sheriffs from around the U.S. are ramping up an effort to press for changes to a federal policy that strips Medicaid coverage and other federal health care benefits from people who are in jail but who have not been convicted of crimes.
Counties and their local taxpayers end up covering medical expenses for people locked up pretrial. But the federal government and states share the cost of people on Medicaid, which provides health coverage for low-income Americans
Those involved in a new initiative focused on the issue say they’re not only concerned about money. The federal policy, they say, is also disruptive for the people it affects—who are disproportionately poor, minorities, or coping with mental illness and substance abuse.
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Locally they keep their Foodstamp benefits and sell them for deposits in their commissary fund.
ReplyDeleteHow do they do it you ask?
Well they have a partner or friend set it up.
The user of the card pays them back for the benefit at half rate deposited into their Jail Commissary account.
Just imagine being able to buy your weekly food for fifty cents on the dollar, and all you got to do is deposit some funds into the cards owners Jail account.
We need a state law requiring state issued ID used when the card is being swiped at the store.
Health care of the jailed and awaiting adjudication is a big drain on counties everywhere, when state/fed Medicaid funding should be caring for them until sentencing.
ReplyDeleteHey, the counties are the ones that lock them up, so the counties have to pay for their medical care while in custody. It's the way it should be. They same government that drops medicaid for them while they are in custody, is the same government that says the jails have to provide medical care for their prisoners. That's a gas!
ReplyDelete