Health care reform may save Vt. Corrections money

Times Argus ^ | October 20, 2013

[Oldeconomybuyer]

MONTPELIER — State officials are investigating how federal health care reform may allow Vermont to save on the cost of providing health services to its incarcerated population.

Federal statutes prevent Medicaid — a shared state and federal program — from being used to provide health care to people behind bars.

But detainees who qualify for a non-Medicaid plan on the exchange may now be able to use exchange insurance plans while in jail, potentially saving the state the cost of providing health care for them.

“One of the new aspects that we’re exploring under the Affordable Care Act is that while Medicaid funds still can’t be used to support health services, they still are eligible to apply for a qualified health plan on the exchange,” Larson said. “That seems to mean that, potentially, they could access private coverage through an insurance marketplace.”

[Oldeconomybuyer]

These prisoners live below the poverty line so they qualify for federal subsidies under Obamacare. Presto! Vermont transfers their criminal health care costs to the federal tax payer.

[RightGeek]

They going to give them one day passes to visit the Obamacare doctor?

[circlecity]

So it just transfers the cost from the citizen’s state taxpayer returns to their Federal tax returns. I don’t really see that as much of a “savings”.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Since Obamacare sets new service levels for plans in the exchange the cost will increase. Plus, who pays the high co-pays and deductibles? You and me.

[Terry L Smith]

Some folks who think that any incarceration, (d’at means, Jeanette, d’at yo’ bum is put inside a concrete box for years), is cruel, would rather have the taxpayers pay for all the comforts of home, for any prisoner, including sex change operations, treatment and removal of cancerous flesh, etc.

Yet, if a criminal, is put in prison for life, what better way to make their life shorter, other than execution, is to deny them any life-saving, or life-changing medical assitance. To have won a slot in the box provided by the State, the criminal would have to have done something terrible to somebody, without regard for the resultant life-changing, or ex-changing (shuffling off the mortal coils), of the victim.