Hi Friend, 

We all deserve affordable, accessible health care. But it’s been an ongoing human rights issue here in the U.S. and it’s even further exacerbated for incarcerated people. People in prison across the nation who earn mere cents per hour are expected to pay fees in order to get medical attention, making them choose between health care and everyday necessities.

This ultimately leads to getting no care at all, worsening health concerns, spreading of diseases, and higher medical costs in the long-term. California is one of the states leading the way in dropping these copays, but there are still 42 states that need to follow suit.(1)(2) That’s why we’re joining with our partners to call on Congress to end inmate copays nationwide because everyone deserves affordable health care.

Sign the petition demanding Congress make health care accessible to people in prison.

Copays in prison can be as low as $5, but when workers are only making 14 to 63 cents per hour (and many don’t have outside resources to help financially), the cost is astronomical. It would be equivalent of a minimum wage workers paying hundreds of dollars just to see a doctor.(3)

Meanwhile, these copays barely contribute to correctional facilities’ health care budgets. When people in prison forgo treatments due to cost, it’s more likely that the state will then have to pay for hospital stays when health issues worsen. 

The current system of requiring inmate copays for health care benefits no one and only serves to put human lives at risk. Congress needs to act now to end these fees and prioritize health for all.

Tell Congress: inmate copays puts lives at risk and they must end.

Yours in the fight,

Raquel, along with Analeeza, Annie, Brenna, Caitlin, Deepthi, Diego, Eddie, Gabby, Lindsay, Mai, Mary, Molly, and Scottie (the Courage Campaign team)

Footnotes:
1. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article226572054.html
2. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/copay_policies.html
3. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/19/copays/

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