Norton Introduces Bill to Prohibit Federal Bureau of Prisons from Charging Health Care Copays

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill today to prohibit the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) from charging individuals in its custody copays for health care visits. Individuals serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies are in BOP custody.

"BOP residents should be encouraged to seek medical care before their health conditions worsen," Norton said. "Preventative care is more effective than later-stage interventions and is much less expensive for the federal government, saving taxpayer money in the long run. The objective is successful reentry into the community, and inmates cannot return to society successfully without their health and wellbeing. Charging copays is antithetical to this goal."

Currently, BOP inmates are required to pay a fee of $2.00 per health care visit. Inmates earn only $0.12 to $0.40 per hour from work assignments.

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Fairness in Federal Bureau of Prisons Medical Care Act of 2024

July 8, 2024

Today, I introduce the Fairness in Federal Bureau of Prisons Medical Care Act of 2024.  This bill would eliminate the copay the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) imposes on individuals in its custody when they visit a health care provider.

Under BOP rules, individuals in its custody are required to “pay a fee for health services of $2.00 per health care visit.”  While $2 may seem insignificant, when such individuals earn only twelve to forty cents per hour on their work assignments, $2 is substantial.  That money could better be used to pay for the cost of necessities.  Moreover, while copays can reduce unnecessary appointments, we should be encouraging such individuals to seek medical care before their conditions become worse and more expensive for taxpayers.  Early care is better for patients and much less expensive for the federal government than costly treatments that could have been avoided by a simple health care visit earlier in the process.

Under BOP rules, if an individual in BOP custody is found responsible through the Disciplinary Hearing Process of having caused an injury to another person in BOP custody that required a visit to a health care provider, the offending individual is required to pay the $2 copay for the injured individual’s visit.  That rule would not change under this bill.

Removing this unnecessary copay would encourage early treatment and would save the federal government money.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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